Parts and Pieces
by TheCritter
Summary: There are somethings you never grow out of, and you never lose sight of, the want for love and companionship is one of them. SasorixOc rewrite
1. New beginners

**New beginner**

As promised it is August and here is the new rewrite to Parts and Pieces. The differences in this version though are the fact that Shay's name is now Eri and she is now a ninja. Other differences are small and adaptable I hope you like it.

I don't own _Naruto_ or any of its characters only my own.

Please enjoy my works

It was raining, Sasori could tell even without looking out a window. His joints were stiff and a moist taste floated in the air. He sat up in bed and looked around, the room was bare and empty, pale blue light was cast in from the single window whose curtains were pulled tight over the glass.

Puppets and tools were cast about the room almost carelessly and scrolls were piled in a corner. A small amount of clothes hung in his closet, along with too many skeletons.

"Its…quite boring without him here," Sasori said nonchalantly as he leaned back again in his bed.

Truth to the words the small house was quiet and creaked in the wind. No one walked the halls, or talked in another room. It still took him a while to adjust in the morning to no one shouting his name or blandness music in the background or terrible burning smells for the renegade blonde's cooking. No there were no more signs of the blonde at all. Everything was gone, gone in an attempt to wash away all remembrance of his previous partner.

He found himself biting his lip in frustration and remembering someone he tried to forget.

"Kuso," he cursed and ran a hand through his short red hair. He had told himself to forget the blundering idiot and move on, but some part of him still ached for the fine condolence of another.

The rain continued to hammer the roof making the drumming noise that filled the house as the puppet man walked the bare cool floors.

Out his door and to the left down the hall way into the living room and another left into the kitchen. This was the path he walked daily from morning to night seeming to search for something. Always turning left, never the right. For there was the matter of the door on the right.

This seemingly boring brown door equipped with a gold doorknob haunted him. When he searched for what he missed so much, he never did touch that accursed golden knob. It was as if in his mind it would burn him. So the door and what lay inside were never looked upon.

He sat down in the kitchen and leaned against the small two-person table. Watching the rain run down the window above the sink he sat alone. Splatters of water the size of peas smashed against the window and ran to its bottom in a terrible amount of replay.

He said nothing as a knock at his door echoed in the dim silence. He waited again for the sound to come once more to make sure that his tortured mind was not once again fooling him.

When the sound did come again, he stood and became aware of himself and walked plainly to the front door through the living room.

Fumbling a bit with the lock on the door he opened it without a thought into his shinobi training or his careful protective ways.

The cool damp air pressed past him and into his dust covered house. Three figures stood at the door hats over their faces and cloaks drawn tightly about themselves. Raindrops beat their backs and wind blew around them.

"Sasori-san," came the calm collected voice of Uchiha Itachi who then pulled out a scroll from his cloak and gave it to the puppet man.

Halfheartedly Sasori looked down at the cylinder of paper in his hand, "What…what is this Itachi-san?"

"Leader-sama requested it," said the Uchiha quickly as Kisame moved out of the way to allow a much smaller person to walk between he and Itachi and into the dry house.

Said person quickly stepped over the threshold and walked over to Sasori's right.

"Sayonara, Sasori-san," and then the door closed and the fellow Akatsuki members were gone. Sasori stared at the door for sometime before registering that he was indeed not alone anymore.

The hat was removed and a pale face shown out through pale blonde locks. Cyan eyes half clouded with white gazed into his own.

"Sasori-sama," the voice was small and gentle and for just a moment in time he thought that he was back.

"Who are you?" he commanded.

The pale gaze did not waver at the sound of his cold harsh voice. Instead the eyebrows furrowed and the gaze hardened.

"I am Eri, Sasori-sama," said the girl with a curt bow.

"Why are you here?" he growled.

A black gloved hand appeared from beneath the sleeve's hem and rough fingers bent to point at the scroll in his hand.

"Leader-sama's instructions, Sasori-sama," she said returning her arm to her side as he tore open the scroll.

_Sasori-san it has been long enough and since you were unable to acquire after Deidara's departure I am forced to give you one instead. You will go on to read who she is and what she is capable of. Treat her with respect and she will return it._

_Rei_

Sasori said nothing as he read this over and over. How could he? How could leader just choose someone to be his partner?

_We have calculated the ways she attacks and…_

…_a suitable combat partner…_

…_adapt and powerful…_

…_uses and unique bloodline limit that we've never seen…_

…_is a missing nin from iwagakure…_

The last bit scared him. Scared him to death, a part of him inside ached enough for him to grunt in pain, causing the female to raise an eyebrow silently.

Sasori choked inside how could leader-sama do this to him this early, this …look alike would never cut it as the true one had been. It was like a slap in the face.

"You probably think your pretty good don't you?!" he spat at her making her jump back, "you probably think your all great and powerful now that your in here right? Wrong your nothing to me and you never will be!"

With the crumpled scroll in his hand he stormed back to his room and slammed the door. A crash was heard but other than that nothing but the drumming of the rain was heard.

Eri looked after him, wondering just what might have put him into such a phase. One minute a delusional shell of a person another shouting lunatic.

Gently as if not to break the tight silence she took off her newly acquired cloak and draped it over the only couch in the house and softly walked to the hallway.

It was as if she walked into a cave again. Dark and dreary looking she walked the wooden floors back the hallway to the first door. The door was plain brown wood with a golden knob. She knew that this was not the place Sasori had escaped too.

With her still fully gloved hand she reached out and grasped the doorknob. It was cold to the touch but turned smoothly.

It gave a small click before opening the whole way. A deep earthen smell met her nose as she peered into the room.

The curtains of the only window were open allowing the dreary light to filter in alighting all the beautiful glazed objects about her. "Sculptures…" True the room was filled with them, each a different animal in a different pose. Colored with paint and covered with glaze they stood out about the room.

Drawn by the beauty she walked in leaving the door slightly ajar her hazy eyes widened in amazement about her at all the magnificent works of art.

Just as she reached out to touch the tip of a bird's beak a voice behind her split the silence in two.

"What are you doing in here?"


	2. Putting up the walls

**Putting up the walls**

Chapter 2! Whoot! Whoot!

I personally want to thank Rosi-chan for being one of THE BEST fans I have ever known and for being such a good person. THANK YOU SO MUCH ROSI-CHAN!!! SASORI LOVES YOU!!!

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters. (p.s. art requests. I do them)

Please enjoy my works

The human mind is a very tender and delicate thing, to which can be able to be lead astray by the simplest things. Sasori's mind was no different; since he had left Sasori had succumbed to prodding his mind of anything that reminded himself of the blonde. Most expressive was his obsession with the though of going 'left.' Many times when he was faced with something that reminded him of the blonde he would pull himself away from it with his mind yelling at him to move 'left' out of danger and away from the thought. This was his odd defensive mechanism that he created in the vast time he had alone in the small house. This voice in side of him would yell out at him and those intervals and, would in his sense, save him.

Now was no different.

"What are you doing in here?" his voice was on the edge of a tremor.

'_left turn left get away left, left, left!'_ shouted that voice in his head that pulled at him to not just leave the room but to fall into the dull nothingness void he had created for himself.

"Sasori-sama…I just thought I would look around…" said Eri fully aware of the mad look and the puppet man's eyes.

'**But he would not want her in his room…'** thought Sasori to himself.

'_Left got left, leave got left leave!' _retorted his mind's mechanism.

"You should not be here…you need to go," he said his voice wavering with what seemed a mad laugh.

Eri's eyes grew wide in fear and Sasori was swept up in the blue of her eyes…they were dulled with white but he could still see the same azure of _his_ eyes.

"_Look at that Sasori-danna!" he shouted loudly catching the elder man's attention. Sasori gazed down to find the small clay scorpion his partner had made._

"_Doesn't your name mean scorpion danna un?" the blonde asked._

_Sasori's eyes softened, "Yes it does." The blonde smiled and laughed._

"_Then I'll just have to find it some red, blue, and green paint, un!" said the blonde cheerfully his clear blue eye stared at Sasori with respect._

"_Blue and green?" asked Sasori._

"_Of course danna…after all it's the color of your eyes," the blonde smiled impishly._

Sasori awoke from his blur of memory to find his hand about Eri's neck squeezing the soft skin. Then he was aware of the prickling sensation around his own neck to find that a large metal clawed hand was wrapped about him its sharp claws cutting into the wood of his neck.

"Let…me…go…" whispered Eri through clenched teeth. He could see the bruises underneath his hands.

"…" Sasori didn't say anything. But removed his hand, immediately the clawed one left his neck. Eri fell to the ground coughing and sputtering holding her left hand to her throat it was then he found to whom the clawed hand belonged too.

The glove lay in tatters on the ground and the normal sized hand he hand assumed to be there before gave way to the monstrous claw-like metal one that was now in the place of the other.

'…_left…left…'_

'**But what…is she…**' his mind retorted.

'_Too…much…like…left, left LEFT…'_

Sasori swung around towards the door grasping his forehead. This was too much too much indeed he needed to escape it, escape the damned color of his eyes and the memories that came with it.

Eri watched confused as he left her and returned to his room. She sat on the floor for some time mulling over what had happened. One minute he was telling her to leave the next talking incoherently about the colors blue and green.

"What is so wrong with him?" she asked the clay bird that stood beside her on a small table. Its beady black eyes stared back at her lifelessly yet full, full of what it had known about its creator. The creator whom Eri knew to be dead whom she knew to be the replacement of, she knew not of who this person was or even what their name was but apparently this person had affected Sasori so deeply.

Rubbing her neck again she walked silently out into the living room and collected her things. She didn't know what to do with the previous owner's things, or what Sasori would do if she was to move into the room, but she was tired and had a feeling that she would not see Sasori the rest of the day.

When putting up the small amount of clothes she had she found the older owners clothes to which she found that it was indeed a he. But when she came across a hair brush with long blonde hairs in it she became confused.

"Must have been a guy…with really long blonde hair," she mused aloud.

Finally after getting remotely settled in she lay down on the bed without covering up and stared out the window at the rain. The pillow her head laid on smelled faintly of male musk but more than that there was not much more of a trace of whoever had stayed in the room previously.

Turning onto her back she stared up at the ceiling she then realized was painted, painted as the sky with birds of all colors flying through it. Whoever had this person been he had really liked birds. Slowly her vision became blurred and her eyelids fell down over her hazy eyes and she drifted off.

Sasori lay in a nest of blankets and pillows he slept lightly and dreamed of explosions and a great clay bird that would fly over him, but once it got close enough for him to see the rider the bird would explode along with its rider. Then it would seem he was falling, falling into the deep color of blue. It flooded over his body like the ocean and numbed his mind to the pain. Then the blue changed from the deep beautiful to the pale cool imitation of her eyes. Those eyes he had struck fear and confusion into and the emotion he hated so much…curiosity.

He awoke gasping and clawing at is chest where his heart was, the deep thumping pounded his ears. His vision swam with the dreary colors of the room. If he actually ate things he knew he would have vomited.

He sat up in his bed on hand on his head trying to steady his racing mind. He knew one thing that might be able to calm him.

Reaching out he grasped a discarded wooden arm and grabbed a hand full of nails and a small ball-pin hammer. He then set to work adding some new attachments to a new puppet of his that had lost its old arm in the battle that Dei-.

'…_turn left…away from pain…left…'_ he gasped and clutched his head, determined not to fall to the brutal memories.

He picked up a wrench and mechanically began to work on the joint. And he continued to all night, building and creating from his own hands.

The clock read 4am when the puppet was back to top performance. Sasori rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and opened his door. Like normal he walked down the hallway to the kitchen where he grasped his glass and poured himself a glass of water. After all his heart did need a bit of sustenance to continue to live.

Oddly he fell somewhat relaxed, calmed by the moment. He concluded that it was his pure form of art that did this, up lifted him.

That was until the room on the right opened up to the strange girl coming out and walking into the bathroom on the other side of the hallway. Sasori gazed amazed at her. Her right arm was entirely made of metal and it make and odd clunking noise as she bent it at the elbow.

She noticed the sound and cursed softly and began to prod it with her fingers. Sasori found himself moving closer to her, coming right up behind her.

"I can never get the adjustments right…their always to tight…" she muttered sleepily unaware of the man behind her.

Sasori found himself staring down at the arm but could not bring himself to reach out and touch it. The metal work called to him, this…art that was so close to his own called to him, but he could not find that he could answer it.

Shrugging she continued into the bathroom leaving Sasori to stand alone to stare at where her amazing arm had been.

"She's…just like …me…"


	3. Steadfast Beating Hearts

**Steadfast beating hearts**

Chapter 3

Here we go again, please read and review it makes Sasori and his mental problems happy!!!

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

"_See! This is why I'm a freak! This is why no one likes me, un!" shouted the blonde as he motioned to his hands and his metal eye._

"_Shut up! You're not a freak so quit telling yourself that! You're a shinobi those are your tools! Be proud of them!" Sasori shouted back to his partner._

"_You'd never understand, un!" shouted the blue-eyed man back._

"_You think I don't understand," began Sasori, slowly the metal blades at his back extended outwards and fanned about him, "You don't know the meaning of a freak…this, __**I**__ am what they call a freak. But what they don't understand is that, its art."_

_The blonde looked up at his partner, a sneer on his face._

"_That's not art, un. You don't know what art is un. Art is a bang!"_

Sasori stumbled back to his room before Eri could appear from the bathroom. His eyes were screwed tightly and his breathing irregular. He couldn't shake that thought from his head, the pounding of the words echoed in his mind forcing him to curl up on his bed in mental agony.

"Why won't…you go…away…after…all this…time?" he growled into the pillow he was trying to drown himself in. White light flashed over his eyes and another memory surfaced.

"_Then you little scumb-bag what is art?" growled Sasori to the blonde._

_Said blonde puffed out his chest and took a deep breath, "Art is fleeting and never lasts long, un. Because when it's gone we treasure it more!"_

_Sasori scoffed making the blonde fume and scowl at him. "That's not art, art is everlasting and eternal. It will never cease to exist! It becomes more important that a simple human life that's why we treasure it so much, you're a fool to think otherwise!" spat Sasori haughtily._

"_Pah! Yeah right! You're the fool, un! You take stuff for granted!" shouted the blonde back to his partner._

"_Humph…I don't take anything for granted, gaki_ (1)_," growled Sasori in return._

"I didn't take anything for granted…until it's gone…" whispered Sasori as he finally drifted off, exhausted mentally and physically from the beating his old memories gave him. Unshed tears racing down his cheeks.

Eri awoke the next morning to an overcast and windy day. Sighing she rose out of bed and got dressed wondering if Sasori would be up. Frankly she wanted to talk to him and see if she could help with the bad start the two had. She didn't think Akatsuki would be too happy if the partners didn't vaguely get along.

Opening her door she found that his was wide open and that the sound of running water was coming from the kitchen. She took a deep breath and walked out of the hallway and into the kitchen.

Their eyes didn't meet instantly; actually Sasori didn't give as much as a hint that he recognized her form in the room.

"Ohiyo (2) Sasori-sama," greeted Eri with a bow. Only then did Sasori turn to look at her.

"Ohiyo…what was your name again?" he growled softly.

"Eri, Sasori-sama," she said daring to meet his eye this time, cold blues and greens met hers in a quick glance. Sasori gave a grunt that signaled that he'd remember for later use.

"Um…do you want me to make you breakfast or something?" she asked walking over to the small stove in the counter.

"I don't eat," he said curtly and walked quickly to the living room ignoring her completely.

Eri sighed in defeat, "Ok then," she said softly to herself and set to finding herself something to eat.

Upon finding herself some ramen she settled down inside the kitchen and looked out the window at the dreary sky. Slurping her noodles quietly she listened to the man on the other side of the wall he was doing something that was for sure but what she didn't know.

Absentmindedly she finished her pathetic excuse for a meal and rubbed her right arm thoughtlessly. She still couldn't find out why the 'clunking' noise admitted from the elbow and no matter how much she messed with it, it never did work.

She glanced over at the man on the couch to see him laying back on his back and messing around with his prosthetic foot tightening the springs in the ankle joint. If Eri didn't really know him and see the way he acted the day before, she would have thought that the puppet man looked relatively cute staring up at his foot.

"Can I help you Eri-san?" he asked immediately sitting up but keeping his eyes on the other side of the room.

For a while Eri said nothing but thought about it, telling him would be like showing him her greatest weakness. It was simply to trust or not to trust.

"Could…could you help me with something…?" she asked a little flustered by the use of her name by him.

"With what?" he asked glancing over his shoulder at her, but no more than a glance.

Eri took a deep breath and decided to take this problem head on so she walked around the couch and sat down beside him not too close to him yet not too far away. Then she pulled up her sleeve on her right arm revealing her own prosthetic arm.

"It…it makes a noise whenever I bend it at the elbow…do you think you could fix it for me?" she asked tentatively. She stared down at her arm for sometime until she got up enough courage to look him in the eye.

Sasori stared down at her in slight curiosity, his head cocked to the side and his eyes smoldered in slight comfort, at not being asked a more difficult question.

At first he would have thought that the first sight of her his mind would go haywire, but after last nights little happening afterwards he hadn't thought of her the same. She had that simple expectation now and when seeing that arm he didn't think of her like before.

It's like part of him accepted her. He still was very wary of her, and didn't know how close he could allow himself to get to her, and really wasn't ready to take the risk. It was best to keep the interaction to a minimum.

"I need my tools for this," he said shortly and stood up and began walking to his room, pausing at the hallway to glance back at her, "you coming?" he asked.

Eri stared after him in amazement, and then to Sasori's surprise she gave a small smile and got up quickly to follow him.

Sasori felt like a lightning bolt had shot through him. That smile brought back the memories of so many other ones he dared not consider. Quickly he filed into his room and went immediately to looking for the tools he would and wouldn't need just to keep himself occupied long enough for his mind to relax into the other side of his subconscious.

"Err…Sasori-sama where do you…want me to sit?" Eri asked knocking him out of his stupor. He glanced behind him at her womanly form and pointed to the unmade bed, ignoring the fact she was invading his privacy.

Quickly she sat down and watched him gather up the tools before he pulled up a stool and sat down on it.

"You need to lie down so I can see it correctly," he told her turning on a light and pulling out a pair of glasses from the small table beside his bed. Eri did as she was told and lay down stretching her arm out so that it hovered over his lap. Sasori put the glasses on the bridge of his nose and adjusted the light so that he could see correctly.

He took his medium sized screwdriver and took off the armor-like metal that protected the wires and such inside of it. Eri in turn stared up at the ceiling while the puppet guru fixed her arm.

Sasori was silently elated at the craftsmanship put into this prosthetic arm. The wires and cables used to carry brain waved and nerves were intricately put in to make sure that not only they would work flawlessly but they were put in locations that ensured they would not be damaged in battle.

He greedily soaked up all the information he could by looking all the prosthetic. Gently he prodded the metal work with his fingers careful not to ruin such an amazing work of art. But what amazed him the most was that it was this _girl's_ arm.

"Did you create this?" he asked suddenly, knocking her out of a day dream. A red hue donned her face as she worked out an answer.

"Well…a doctor once made it, but it was so simple I had to upgrade it a bit so that I could use it to fight and not risk too much damage," she said and stared at the ceiling again.

"But you created all the safety mechanisms and how the cables work perfectly?" he pushed.

"Well…yes," she answered still flustered.

Sasori stared at her a bit then took to the problem in the elbow.

"What do you believe is the problem?" he asked her.

"Well…," she began, "It only began making noises after I battled my way into the organization. My guess is that something came lose and I…I can't _see_ well enough…to fix it."

Sasori stared at her, her expression looked utterly defeated. Her eyebrows were twisted in agony and her bottom lip was bit so it wouldn't quiver. For once she wore her emotions on her sleeve, to which allowed him a look into her defenses.

"So that's why your eyes are cloudy," he said quickly. He didn't look up again to know she nodded in response.

As she guessed a bolt had loosened and caused two other pieces of metal to rub together when the elbow bent. It was simple and easily fixed and while he repaired it, it donned on him what this must feel like to her.

All her life he assumed, she had to rely on herself to fix her own problems, and now that her eyesight was failing she had to rely on him. Someone she barely knew and who particular wanted nothing to do with her, she now had to put her weaknesses in his hands and pray that he wouldn't crush them like glass.

Sasori had to really concentrate to keep from falling into his old memories. Ones where a similar blonde would as him for help and he Sasori would give it for he cared to much not to.

Another 15 minutes later Sasori pulled off his working glasses and packed away his tools.

Eri said noting as she sat up and headed to his door.

"Thank you, Sasori-sama," she said and headed to the door.

"Eri-san…" he called back, surprising her when she turned to see his back to her.

"Don't call me 'sama' sempai is just fine," he said and began to clean up a bit, acting as if she weren't there.

"Um…okay then Sasori-sempai," and with that she closed the door quietly and walked into the living room. Looking out a window she saw the rain had stopped but the ground was wet and soggy.

Next to the window there was a calendar, she almost collapsed and cried when she realized she couldn't even make out the month from eight feet away.

'_How long will it be before I can see truly nothing?'_

Ok, translations… (1) gaki brat (2) Ohiyo good morning, or I think that's how you spell it.

R&R make me and Sasori happy oh! And look at my artwork on deviant art link on my profile page!!!


	4. Blindfolded Fools

**Blindfolded Fools**

Chapter 4

Come on people!! Review darn you or Sasori danna will never get over his mental trauma!!!

**WARNING: there will be a bit of blood of gore in this chapter, viewer discretion advised…always wanted to say that…**

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

They say that time heals all wounds, whether or not it was true for Sasori or not he couldn't tell, the ebbing pain he felt never did completely stop and at times only Eri was to blame for bringing them about, but she didn't know she caused such a dreadful pain the marionette. He did not outright blame her for the things she did, the characteristics she shared with the ghost that lived in this house, he found that ignoring the fact she was similar to him was a more suitable way to deal with it then freaking out over something he would never let her know about.

Though now with a female about Sasori did see a lot of changes about their little living quarters. Things became cleaner and, something Sasori stumbled upon, the kitchen became well stocked, instead of desolate and forgotten. He was more surprised than guilty; after all it wasn't truly his fault.

Often Eri would, out of sheer politeness for both of them didn't recognize the emotional bond that was being built horribly slow, hand him a glass of water while he fixed a puppet or studied jutsu, accompanied with a small smile and a word of kindness. Such little things surprised and unsettled him at first, but soon he began to relax and even expect these little gestures. He also found out that he did not have to resort as often to his mental diffusion of his obsession with 'turning left.' That thought alone brightened and tore at him.

In a flash two weeks passed and now the partners were faced with a new obstacle they would need to over come mentally and physically.

The morning was bright as Sasori walked into the little kitchen. Sitting at the small table was Eri, munching on an egg sandwich. Immediately she swallowed and looked to him for instruction for the day's happenings.

"I got word last night from Leader, he has a mission for us (_it no longer hurt as much to refer to them as 'us' as it once was_) to accomplish. It is low rank, but still it will test your skills," he told her. For the last two weeks he had hinted his curiosity about what she was truly capable of.

"I hope so as well, Sempai," she replied using her newly obtained honorific.

"We are to intercept a trading of a scroll for Konohagakure to Sunagakure and then take the scroll to the Kirigakure Feudal Lord and get our payment there," he explained. She nodded in response.

"When do we leave, Sempai?" she asked as he poured himself a glass of water. Sasori took a sip then replied.

"We will leave tomorrow morning, so today you should gather the things you need to take with you," he said. She nodded and finished off her sandwich as he stared out the kitchen's windows.

Eri hummed to herself as she packed a small bag that she carried on the inside of her cloak with the things she needed. An extra set of clothes, some money and 2 scrolls that were unlabeled.

She also made sure to stock up on all the kunai and shuriken she would need.

Silently she thanked the room's previous owner for leaving behind a bag of both kunai and shuriken. Though inside it saddened her, the person who had lived here and who Sasori-sempai refused to talk about probably could have survived if they had taken more of these simple shinobi tools. Maybe one more kunai to fend off an attacker or a couple more shuriken to block an attack.

She stared down at the shiny tools wondering if one of them would save her life or maybe even…take it away. She shivered at the though and continued packing.

She finished quicker than she anticipated. For sometime she sat on her neatly made bed and stared about the artistic room. Calmly she let her mind wander to what kind of person this mysterious partner of Sasori-sempai's had been. She had searched the room one day when Sasori-sempai was sleeping, but found nothing more than a small rectangular box under the bed that wouldn't come open no matter what tools she used on it. So in defeat she put the box back and sat fuming for lack of any hints.

Itachi-sama had told her briefly about Sasori-sempai, how he was basically a living puppet and the he considered the puppets he created, an art. At first she was puzzled at such a though. Her prosthetic and other skills were very close to his but she didn't view what she did as neither beautiful nor artistic. When she looked at her metal arm, she did not think art, but more or less something that tied her painfully to her past. It was simply a large pieced of metal that she used to fight with. Through that she could see a connection as Sasori-sempai used his puppets as weapons as well, though her mind then would again wonder to the mystery partner.

This person clearly created sculpture, beautiful ones no doubt about it. But what weapon like purpose they were for eluded her.

Silently she continued to pack making sure such a slip up would not happen to her, not get, she still hadn't truly proved herself. That one thing hung over her like a dark ominous cloud that threatened to drown her in guilt.

The pieces of her subconscious would never allow her to relax if she didn't do that. She never proved herself to the other and look where they are now; dead and buried.

Eri shook her head, to rid herself of those terrible thoughts she would prove her worth to Sasori-sempai…or she would die trying, it was the only way.

The sun sank below the trees and cast the kitchen and living room in an eerie twilight. Dark shadows were cast about the walls, and emotions were thick as whole milk on a child's tongue. Eri said nothing to her sempai as he made his last adjustments on Hiruko.

Strange as it was, she hardly saw him in it, compared to the rest of the Akatsuki. Maybe it was the fact she was the one who was logically closest to him.

Sighing she went back to inspecting her prosthetic, making sure everything worked perfectly, or at least as perfect as her eyes could tell her. The decrease in her vision was becoming troublesome and more of a hassle than before. Fear secretly swayed and slashed around in her stomach, the fear that someday she would be rendered useless, then, she knew she'd be useless, utterly and completely useless. That, she could never allow to happen. She promised herself, she'd rather be dead than useless.

The pearl white lines that crisscrossed over her back and chest drew her from those thoughts. She knew how terribly deep those cuts had been, how the pain was so terrible she had though she sat through hell with her right arm in boiling oil.

Flashes of blood and sparks of metal flashed over her memory as she laid her tools aside. That day, someone wronged her…she knew it happened all the time and that she ought to be happy she still had her life, but the fires of restlessness burned reverently in her soul. Revenge or maybe it was justice, she didn't know and most importantly she knew she'd never be that…pathetic fool again…never prey again.

"Hm? What was that?" she said surprised at the puppet man's sudden words.

"I'm off to bed, don't stay up too long we need to be ready for tomorrow," he instructed her still a bit skittish about the word 'we'.

"Of course,' she murmured and reclined ever more in her chair, blowing him off was something she didn't do very often and she knew she was pushing it doing it before their first mission.

"Don't blame me if you're…" Sasori trailed off as his eyes slightly glazed and he turned away and raced to his room. Eri was left to stare after him in confusion.

"Don't blame me if you're so tired you mess up!" was the same sentence that ran though his mind as the conversation before the mission that killed him played in his head.

Sasori buried his face into his pillow, similar how he had when he died only it wasn't a pillow that time…no it was a cold chest with an un-beating heart.

"I'll do whatever I want to, un!' shouted the blonde in a huff, "my art won't let me down."

"But it will someday," he said.

"but it did you fool…you were only human you fool…you damn fool!" groaned Sasori in to his pillow, the blue cotton and stuffing clogged his words to the outside ears, but the words rang as loud as church bells at a funeral.

The clock on the wall rang 9 times before shutting off. Eri turned off the light and crept to her room.

Not a sound was heard but Eri could just feel it. Staring out at her from the moonlit walls, memories, that's what they were, ghosts of the past, staring at her threatening to drown her in the powerful emotions they held. Just staring at the statues that decorated the room made her dizzy. What had that mysterious person thought when he made them, what was he modeling after. Why? Just why?

Eri rolled over pulling the blankets in close to her form, but no heat warmed her body. It was going to be a cold night.

_Dry tears rose_

_In the bright of night_

_One heart crushed,_

_One much too rushed._

Eri lay in her bed staring up at the painted ceiling with mild interest. Outside her door she could hear Sasori-sempai's footsteps on the wooden floor. It sounded like he was pacing just outside the door, contemplating whether or not to come in.

She rolled on to her right and away from the door, it squeaked open and a dim light stretched across her form.

For some time the puppet artist said nothing and just stared and her figure on the bed.

So many flashes of him in that same bed raced through this mind. So many mornings waking up to walking into that ridiculously painted room to wake the blonde he was so close too. To hear his shouts of protest as the light blinded him as he awoke.

But now a curvier form occupied the bed, and the hair that fell across the pillow as not the same color of the sun that his had been, silence greeted him now, sad terrible silence.

"Eri-san, wake up and get ready to go," he said just loud enough for her to hear. He had never had to say those words before, before he shouted them and tossed the blonde male out of the bed.

Relishing the turn, he turned left, away from the memories and the room, and walked down the hallway.

Breakfast was barely noted, they were both too tense for any easy banter, Eri ate in silence and Sasori climbed soundlessly into Hiruko.

The trip there wasn't very long and didn't take more than two hours, for them to reach the borders of the village hidden in the leaves.

Eri had never truly set foot in Konohagakure; the experience was an amazing and frightening one. Trees grew twice the width of man and towered over her in a vast expansion. Sasori did not seem troubled at the change in landscape, but then again Eri couldn't read much of an expression though Hiruko or the voice changer.

The two had walked the whole way from the River country luckily the sprint hadn't ceased for them to be on guard. The ribbons on their hats swayed to and fro as they walked and the single bell on Sasori's hat jingled to their footsteps.

It was almost noontime when Sasori stopped them. He turned and addressed Eri right on strange behavior to her.

"The trading post is right up ahead, we have a head start meaning the Konoha nins that have the scroll will be here but not the Suna. The will not be expecting an attack in broad daylight," he instructed, the masculine voice of Hiruko made Eri shiver and nod.

"Our objective is not only to capture the scroll they are carrying but also to test your skills so you will be the first one to make a move. I do not expect any survivors and at every cost do not let it known that the mist village has hired us. Understand?"

Eri nodded and was thankful for her hat to cover her unease.

"Come,' he replied shortly, Eri followed suit.

The clearing that the Konoha ninja gathered in was small and had but one wooden post in the middle which had the symbols for fire and wind on it. The ninja were lazily strewn about eating lunch. Eri smiled faintly; maybe this mission would be easy.

"The one with the blue bandana is the one with the scroll, take out the rest first," said Sasori-sempai from her left, he was well hidden with a camouflage jutsu.

Eri nodded and raised her real arm slowly so that her hand was visible. The other formed itself into a seal. Single handedly she made signs and called on her chakra.

"Hariganeha no jutsu," she whispered and flicked her wrist.

Sasori watched amused as small blades attached by wire appeared out of her fingertips. The wire was so think it was like spider webs and blades were small but precise.

One out of the four noticed the spike of chakra, but before he could announce it, the small blades and razor sharp wire had wrapped about him and twisted, brutally dismembering him in a shower of blood and gore.

In shock the rest of the team jumped up and reached for their weapons. Their eyes were wide as they tried to pinpoint the opposing ninja.

Sasori saw the glint in Eri's eyes as the crimson liquid soaked the ground. This feeling of adrenaline and power was a drug to the shinobi.

She broke again into hand signs but did not announce what the jutsu was. The sound of ripping fabric was heard as her right sleeve gave way to metal.

The normal arm was gone and in its place was a double in size claw of destruction.

Eri leaped out of her hiding spot. She pounced upon the ninja closest to her. Her new arm's weight did not bother her. He raised a kunai to deflect but her hand being larger than his head; it was ripped to shreds along with his body as she twisted all her weight to bear down on the metal blades of her fingers. Like a typhoon of metal blades.

Sickening pops and cracks were heard, this would be a _closed_ casket funeral.

The only dilemma with this attack was that it left her open to attack from other ninja, but after all that was what Sasori-sempai was for.

Easily he crushed the attacking ninja with Hiruko's scorpion like tail. Now all that was left was the one with the scroll.

His eyes were wide and quickly he made a mad dash for the forest. Sasori was about to go after him, until Eri signaled him to stop.

"Don't worry,' she said with a smile, "he won't get far enough, and no one will hear him scream."

Sasori gazed at her, one hand rose up in the sign of the tiger and she spoke, "Namari-chudoku-no-jutsu."

Screams of terrible pain echoed so loudly through the trees, birds flew out of their nests and animals ran for cover. If Sasori could shiver he would have for the shouts of pain were some of the most terrible he had ever encountered.

Eri's eyes were closed until the shouting ceased. Before going after the ninja she transformed her arm to its normal size.

"Well let's go get our prize," she said bluntly as she began walking in the Konoha nin's direction.

The corpse was in such a state Sasori had never seen before. The eyes were bulging and the flesh looked torn away from the bones. Blood was splattered all over the trees and ground around him.

Eri leaned down to the carnage and plucked the scroll out, the only thing not covered in blood.

"May I ask what you did to him?" asked Sasori.

Eri stared at him before answering, "The wire I used on the first ninja was only a distraction so I could wrap this one in the rest, as for the screaming, I created the wires out o lead, so it shut down his nervous system. Painless yet painful. The wire simply constricted and crawled at my whim.'

She handed him the scroll and bowed deeply.

"I pray that I have become just a tiny bit more useful to you now sempai," she whispered.

Sasori said nothing, never before had he asked to be useful; he'd always thought himself as invincible. Another piece clicked together in his mind. She wasn't him no matter what she looked like or how she did things…now if he could just convince himself of that.

"Good work…Eri-san," and with that he turned left and motioned her to follow.

Eri smiled beneath her collar and followed after him quickly.

I'm so sorry my fans that this one is sooo very late, I've had a whole lot on my mind with my Danna breaking up with me and I'll be just overjoyed if you left me a review. Also in the next chapter there will be a link to fan art that I'll be putting up on deviantart! So now you'll know what Eri looks like! I hope you enjoyed this chapter I know I'm not the best at fight scenes.

Kuroi Hihane


	5. Angel with the Metal Wing

**Angel With The Metal Wing**

Chapter 5

Ok heres some links just fix them so they work- http:// nyxsiphon .deviantart .com/ art/Eri- from Parts-and-Pieces -656990570

and http:// nyxsiphon .deviantart .com/ art/5- Angel-with -the-Metal-Wing -6569826565

I don't own _Naruto_ or any of the characters…only my own.

Please enjoy my works.

The puppet mans eyes blinked slowly open, he didn't move for fear of breaking the spell his recent dream had cast over him. His eyes were locked onto the series of small dots on his ceiling that had come from him in the late of night, burning them in with his chakra strings, some nights it's all he could do to calm himself. Seeing the raw flowing chakra soothed the wounded heart he tried to convince himself he didn't have.

Finally, when Eri knocked on the door explaining she was going out back to train, the spell was broken, he didn't have much of a wish to train so early, but opted to get out of bed. Slowly he made his way to the kitchen, to exhausted to even get himself a glass of water, he collapsed down into his chair on the opposite side that Eri usually sat.

Today was a Sunday, a supposedly restful day, Sasori wanted to take full advantage of such serenity. All he wanted was to lie on the couch and watch day time television since Akatsuki decided to buy cable. Maybe he could find something good on, sleep the day away; heck if he could he would have gotten drunk just to forget his woes.

But alas, the puppet's genuine curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself walking out into the backyard, or what one might call it, the waist high grass hid many dangers the barefoot traveler. A series of large boulders were positioned in the grass for training purposes, and three stumps even behind that. Eri was at one of the stumps practicing taijutsu. At first Sasori took no heed to the technique she was using until he sat down on the top of one of the boulders and stared down at her.

It surprised him how swift and quick her moves were, agile and coordinated her body all moved at the same precise speed and force. She moved as if she didn't have an arm of steal and cables and had the body of powerful tiger with the way she chipped off pieces of the log so quickly one would think it was just falling apart.

What gave him a bit of a notion of gratitude was that she never addressed him while she worked, knowing that she needed no distractions. Her hair was pulled back away from her face in a fashion she usually didn't use and it felt strange to see her in a tank top and a pair of old sweatpants, she usually wore very modest clothing that hid the curves she so valiantly pretended she didn't have.

Unbeknownst to the puppet man Eri was fully aware or the pair of eyes that followed her moves, finally coming to the end of her routine, she stood up tall and turned to address the sightseer.

"May I ask you to take a picture? It lasts longer," she said monotone. Sasori almost fell of his rock in surprise of her blunt comment; usually she addressed him with complete respect and loyalty.

Sasori regained his composer and stared down at her, "how do you move like that?" he asked very frankly.

Eri's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "well, um…I guess, I've been training with this arm since I was very young and I could never afford to be slow or clumsy I've just gotten really good. It's the only reason I'm still alive."

Silence grew between them faster than the weeds at their feet, Eri stared out into the forest and Sasori stared at the stump behind her. They both had so much to say but neither could work up the courage to do it. They were only human anyway, they were afraid of what the other would say to what they believed in, regardless if they were feared shinobi or not.

"I want to study it," whispered Sasori offhandedly. Eri's eyes flew back to him, filled with confusion.

"What do you mean Sasori-sempai?" she asked and crossed her arms in the front, blushing slightly from the realization that she wasn't wearing the most modest of clothes.

"How you move so swiftly, I want to adapt that to my puppets, so they can work better and more agile. I demand to know," he said so forcefully Eri backed up a bit, and averted her eyes from his flashing brown ones. She knew that he wouldn't like seeing her acting so weak around him, so she recovered herself and stood straight again.

"I'll assist you however I can Sasori-sempai," she replied with a bow and thanked any god that would listen for making sure her voice did not waver.

"Very good," he said and led her back indoors. Eri wasn't too sure what he exactly wanted by using her as model for his puppets, but her fierce loyalty kept her walking after him in quick soft steps.

He led her into his room and got out a small box of tools, he had her stand in the middle of the room. Then he measured out her arms and legs and had her show him a couple of her moves in her training routine. Together he had his puppet mirror her moves, finding that if they had a certain joint they would not just move quicker and more precise but actually be quieter and faster moving.

Surprising Eri, he allowed her to stay and help him install many of these joints into many of his puppet army. She was surprised how he actually babbled on and on about the life and history of the once human puppets along with the varying jutsus that each held and when he had gotten all of them. He went on to explain, in less than beautiful explanations, of how he created the puppets.

Through it all Eri watched and listened to the puppet guru ramble on about his art, she realized how passionate and devoted he was and how much sense it made for him to create himself into something that he loved so very much. She didn't think he realized how much he cared about them but didn't want him to stop talking. Something in his voice just captivated her, made her stay longer to hear him. Just the sight of his lips moving made her eyes glue to him. She wondered faintly if it was just her loyalty or something more.

Then he surprised her with a question.

"What do you believe art is Eri-san?" he asked sincerely, and almost…shyly? Eri could not stop the red hue that grew on her face as his brown eyes bore into hers in a heated passion.

"Art is…something that is beautiful and that you treasure and…as long as you love it…it will always be there…" she told him, only breaking the eye contact to search for more inspiration in the room about her.

An amused and content look settle onto his features, clearly pleased with her explanation. Was there even a slight smile?

"That's an interesting concept to think by," he said and looked down to his puppets.

Eri's heart hammered as a question burnt on her tongue, she didn't know whether or not to ask it. He seemed to agree with her views on art but now lenient would he be to this.

"Sasori-sempai…shinobi aren't suppose to have emotions right?" she asked.

"Yes, we are nothing but tools," he replied.

"So…how can you treasure your art so much?" she asked finally, "How can you love something when you say you don't have emotions?"

Sasori looked at her for sometime, contemplating what he should say to answer. An uneasy and tense silence fell between them.

"That's a foolish question," he said softly.

Eri's eyebrows, pinched together in frustration. "But don't you say that art is everlasting? There has to be some reason you turned yourself into half a puppet so you could last forever, because you love it," she said leaning forward into his face.

Inside his head Sasori was screaming to himself. This was the one thing he was refusing to believe in himself. He was a puppet he had not emotions so why did her words pull at him so deeply? Why did he have such the urge to have her say it again, scream it to him? Why wasn't he bothered by how close he was to her? Why didn't he just say no?

'_Because it's what you want,' _whispered a voice in the back of his mind, _'you want to be close, you want companionship, you desire the undesirable, you want __**love**__.''_

Is that what he wanted? This love he never got as a child, this yearning that made him into a puppet? This desire to create and treasure something? The want to get close to her?

"There are some things you can cherish that will never be torn from you. Mine is my art, yours is whatever you cherish so much. My art will never be taken from me so I don't have to worry about something like love," he answered, his eyes flashing.

"Then what if you cherish someone not something? What do you do to keep them around?" she asked leaning ever closer. Was it him or was it merely the dropping temperature that urged him to touch her warm bare skin?'

"But I don't."

"What if you do but don't realize it?"

"That's absurd!"

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

Eri's face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

"Then what if I said I wanted you to stay around, because I cherish you? How would I get you to stay?"

He could have sworn the walls echoed what she had said. Ringing in his ears and rumbling through his body like an earthquake.

"What are you saying?" he asked bewildered.

Eri's hands shook as she spoke, "You're the only person who ever cared about me this much, whoever acknowledged that I was alive. Who asked for my opinion that didn't look at me and see some blind freak with a metal arm. You're the one who actually cared Sasori-sempai…I…I…don't want to lose that."

There was a silence; Eri took it as rejection as her eye began to fill with tears.

He surprised her by lifting up her chin, looking her straight into her cloudy eyes so that she could make out every beautiful detail of his face and pushed away the bangs to her left and leaned down so close his words tickled her ear.

"Then don't disappoint me," he whispered, his voice deeper and huskier than what she remembered it being. And the warm breath he exhaled almost made her choke because of it's alluring scent.

He then stood up and grabbed his cloak from a hook on the wall.

"You're hungry right? Come on we're going out to eat," he said and motioned to the door.

In a daze Eri followed him and grabbed her own cloak and hat. The sound of his voice echoed in her head and made her stomach flip.

_He had been so close…he could have kissed her…_

Three weeks later…

I'm so sorry this is so short and the next probably will be too but were going to get more fight scenes soon! So it'll take along time to write. Please be patient for me! As promised if you go to the link above or to my deviantart link on my profile page you'll see pictures I have drawn of Eri and Sasori. And if you check out my TheOtaku account there will be Chapter covers that I will be updating for ever chapter staring with this one!

Kuroi Hihane


	6. Demon with the Angel's face

**Demon With The Angel Face**

Chapter 6 (omg 6 and it says demon…creeepppyyy)

- After carpal tunnel, boyfriends breaking my non-existent heart, I finally finished this. Thanks to Rosi-chan for her undying commitment! Thanks so much!!

I don't own Naruto only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

Kick left, dodge right run back, poise, punch right, left, and duck, and swipe, leap backwards, deflect, and punch again. Again and again Eri fought back against Sasori's moves, four out of five punches she landed, they had been at it ever since she accidentally spilled water down his front. It had stared off as an angry battle but soon became a simple training for the two.

Sasori's male pride against Eri's undying loyalty to prove herself was what had kept them at it for the last three hours. Both of them were panting and Eri was sweating yet none wanted to admit defeat.

"why don't' you just stay down now Eri-san I can tell your body is getting slower," taunted Sasori with a smirk.

"Ha! Aren't you…funny…I'll show you puppet-boy…that I can…take care…of myself," she growled back playfully.

"Fine then machine-girl who ever loses has to buy dinner got it?" shot Sasori back raising the stakes.

Eri grinned and landed a hit to his stomach forcing him back a few feet. Sasori smirked and used a chakra string to pull her feet out from under her.

Eri screamed as Sasori flew in a wall, both groaned.

"That's cheating Sempai, no chakra tricks!" she growled at him.

Sasori smirked, "what's wrong Eri-chan can't play dirty?"

Eri blushed profoundly and muttered a quick 'shut up.' Sasori smirked in amusement at his new found hobby.

He had found, ever since that day 3 weeks again, that he loved the felling he got whenever Eri blushed. It was like someone had shocked him with lighting, but it was shock like a new high he got. So much better than the _'turning left'_ he used to resort to. It was his new drug and he loved it.

And now he did everything he could to get his hands on it. This feeling…he didn't know what it was but it was great.

He watched Eri stand and brush herself off.

"Ok, ok dinners on me," she exhaled running a hard back through her hair.

Sasori cocked his head to the side and watched the sweat run down her cheek to her neck and then disappear beneath the fabric of her dark blue tank top.

"I though we had a discussion about this?" she said irritably crossing her arms over her chest, "no more staring you're freaking me out."

A look of pout came over the puppet man's face.

"I wasn't staring," he said defying her and looking in the opposite direction.

Eri couldn't help but let out a little smile at his cute antics. He really did have an adorable young boy's face, and being female she just couldn't resist him.

"Sure…" she drawled and glanced at the clock, "well I'll leave you to your denial. I'm off to the shower."

"Hn," he replied still intently staring at the wall.

Eri giggled softly, they didn't act this freely normally, only on off days usually. And Sasori had been seeing a strange behavior in Eri staring at him as much as he did to her, only she would laugh and oddly enough touch him. Leaning on him bumping into him where as before she wouldn't even breathe within a five foot radius of him. It was odd for the puppet man. It was almost as if he had him back.

But a little voice in the back of his head had 2 reasons for her behavior.

**1**, the most likely was that it was 'that time of the month' and her hormones were attacking the nearest male, aka him or…

**2**, she was…how should he say…infatuated with him. Or had a so called _crush_ on him.

Sasori wanted to go with the first choice it seemed more reasonable and likely. "Who in the right mind would fall in love with a monster like me?"

"Would. You. Please. Quit. Slurping. Your. Soup?" Sasori said slowly and irritably.

Eri's cheeks were flushed with happiness as she slurped down her ramen even through the large screened hat. She loved the attention she created to the disguised puppet and herself. It made him so irritated which made him show emotion which thrilled her inside and out.

'What _slurp_ are _slurp_ you _slurp_ talking _slurp_ about _slurp_?" she asked quite childishly. By now almost everyone in the restaurant had moved their curious gazes to the pair.

"Would you stop it, you're attracting too much attention," growled Sasori under his breath.

"WHAT WAS THAT? SOMETHING ABOUT TOO MUCH ATTENTION???" Eri announced to the room. Sasori sat stock still his flaming brown eyes boring holes into the bowl that was raised in front of Eri's face.

"SLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRPPPPPPP!!" Sasori had had enough.

"I'm terribly sorry about my friend, excuse us," he said politely to the waitress and grabbed a hold of Eri who still had the ramen bowl to her face and ran out of the restaurant in a mad dash. The people behind stared back in wonder and the little old ladies giggled about young love…boy were they off.

The waitress paled and turned to the chef, "They forgot to pay."

Sasori walked ahead fuming silently, trying to find the right words to express his extreme amount of fury and embarrassment, Eri on the other hand was as happy as a clam and walked on after him still eating her ramen.

Finally Sasori turned around to address Eri who had thrown her bowl away, she stood, head slightly cocked and eyes focused on him. He could see the faint illumination of a smile in her eyes.

The back of his throat burned and his eyes were glued to her form. He could hardly believe that it had once been **him** standing here waiting for instructions. In one way he had never been there and in another…he had never left.

"…come on we need to get home…" he muttered unable to dispute her actions…it hurt too much to.

Eri nodded and walked alongside him, it made him slightly uncomfortable that she was so close to him and yet he didn't want her to leave. He sighed out loud and shook his head. Eri looked up to the sky making her hat slide of, but slow enough she was able to catch it. A breeze floated by that ruffled her hair into her eyes.

They hadn't realized they'd stopped walking.

"Sasori-sempai, can I ask you a question?" she asked softly.

"Go ahead," he replied still staring at her, his voice was taunt and terse.

Eri grinned and looked him in the eye, "did you mean it when you said we were friends back there?"

The wind howled by as the two stared deeply at each other. Sasori could have sworn that someone carved out his tongue because when he went to speak nothing came out nothing he had ever been trained for had ever readied him for this nothing in his entire life.

"I…well…" he didn't know what to say, the only one he ever thought of as a friend was a certain blonde haired man who was killed. How could he open his mind again to someone else when he couldn't even get over him?

"Because Sasori-sempai, I think you're my best friend…ever…" she said with a smile and a deep blush to her cheeks.

He was rendered speechless again, unable to think of anything…

-

"_Your not just my Danna, you're my best friend too," smiled the blonde._

"_Come now, were ninjas," he replied._

_The blonde shook his head and smiled._

-

Sasori stared at her for some time before turning around and speaking.

"My older partner called me his Danna, Eri-san…if you want…you could call me that…" he said and began walking away.

Eri's face flushed. Finally he had said something about his mysterious partner, and even better than that he was granting her the possibility to address him as his partner had. She finally felt as if she were something to him, someone he trusted and even…treasured?

"Thank you Sasori-Danna," she smiled and ran up to him, surprising him by taking his hand and squeezing it tight.

Ok well it was short and all I'm sorry but I had to. So in you people's opinion, should they fight Kakashi or some random ninjas? If they do fight Kakashi it might be two chapters long with a good bit of…dare I say it…FLUFF!!! Oh yeah that's right the big ole f word!!! That and the last chapter to this story will be a blooper chapter so if there is a blooper you want me to write just PM me or review with what it is and what chapter it's from. Thanks so much for reading!!

Kuroi Hihane


	7. Bound by Heartstrings

**Bound by Heartstrings**

Chapter 7

-Wow this is the farthest I've ever gotten in a fanfiction! I think I'm going to party! Whoooo!

Special thanks to those who reviewed in the last chapter!

**Satoru **I knew from the minute I read that review I liked that person!

And…

**Rosi-chan **what a surprise huh, well you could be like Rosi-chan and get free art requests just by reviewing!!! See that easy!!!! By the way thanks Rosi-chan, Luvs ya bunches!

I don't own Naruto only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

The morning was full of fog and the air was damp with the rain that had fallen the night before. It seemed to rain a lot, maybe it was because they were in Amegakure, or maybe it was just them. Sasori, you could tell, didn't appreciate the rain, it made his joints stiff, he would complain all the time, and Eri would just smile, nod and say that it was no wonder he came from Sunagakure. He complained just to hear himself talk she knew that, along with the fact that she loved hearing him preach, whether or not it was about his stiff joints or why that one step on the back porch was just high enough for him to trip over it in the night, whatever it was it amused her.

The dull warm lighting that emitted from a lamp in the living room lit up the house just enough for the two to see. Anyone outside wouldn't see the light for the think dark curtains were pulled tight.

The two were up, preparing for the mission ahead of them. They had no idea what they were suppose to say, but Leader had made it clear that they would know as soon as they met up with the Suna ninjas they were supposedly suppose to meet up with along the way. They were then surprised even more when Leader told them that they had successfully captured one of the tailed beasts and that just two weeks later they would be on the protection force with Itachi and Kisame while the rest sealed the beast. They suspected an attack from Suna _and_ Konoha in an attempt at rescue of the demon container. They were there to make sure that didn't happen.

"What's your idea for this mission Danna?" asked Eri, she leaned back in her chair and played around with a metal spoon, melting it then reforming it into something else then back into a spoon.

Sasori was temporarily caught up with the continual changing of the spoon to answer her, which was until it turned into a plain blob of metal and she chucked it to his head.

Disheveled Sasori glared at her, and rubbed the spot above his eyebrows where it had hit.

"It's probably a look out mission of their so convinced that Konoha and Suna are going to attack at the sealing ceremony, they won't make us fight then fight some more if it's against them," he answered counting over his puppets' scrolls on last time.

"Oh yeah that makes sense," she said and stood up, "So ready to go? It's going to at least take a day for us to just get to Suna even though we're so close, that stupid surveillance stuff, it's so annoying."

"Well if you don't want ANBU black ops to kill you in your sleep you better be thankful," shot Sasori back also standing up, "Let's go."

Eri grinned at the puppet man's bitterness and followed him to the door where he got into Hiruko, and they walked out side greeted by the dark dank houses that rose up around them, this was a shadowy part of the town, the Akatsuki HQ wasn't to far from here, and Sasori and Eri could have decided to live out of there, but Sasori liked his privacy and Eri always agreed with him.

The trip was as most uneventful other than Sasori cussing out some of the guards on their way out. The wind, though, did pick up once they arrived on the Suna/Ame boarder.

Eri didn't like the fact that soon they would be walking though sand and that it could get her arm's joints jammed ups, but diligently she followed on behind Sasori without voicing her concerns.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the coordinates that the Leader had instructed upon them to be at. There in the middle of a small clearing sat a scroll, but since they were ninja they knew it would be booby trapped.

"Eri-san," said the Hiruko voiced Sasori.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Can you created something that we can use to figure out what kind of trap is there?" he asked, careful where he stepped.

"Like a pear or something?" she asked.

"Sure, just make sure it'll trigger the trap," he replied.

Nodding Eri concentrated her chakra and made her index finger on her left hand elongate into a long pole. With it she shifted about until a wire was tripped and thousands upon thousands of poisoned senbon pierced the ground.

Sasori walked forward, making sure to evade the needles and picked up the scroll. He opened it up before their eyes and read it in a hushed whisper.

_Two of the tailed beasts we have, in approximately 2. 35 minutes you will see the holder of the Ichibi. _

_Your mission is not to capture him but to test his strength; you are NOT to kill him_

_-Pein_

"You were right, it's basically a scouting mission," said Eri as Sasori rolled up the scroll.

He didn't reply as he strapped a time bomb to the scroll and threw it far off. A boom echoed throughout the forest.

"Keep up your guard," he said simply and looked on behind where the scroll was positioned. Down below was a trading route, no doubt that the Ichibi would be coming down it shortly.

"When I blow my whistle you get behind the vessel, I'll be in front; we're measuring his capacity so it's best if you kept your distance. Now hide," instructed Sasori, his vice was not only eerily deep and rumbling but it was stone cold with hate. Eri nodded and disappeared into the trees.

Approximately 2 minutes later

Who Eri supposed to be a simple traveler maybe even a ninja turned out to be more of a king. No not a king…

A Kazekage.

He and his brigade of ninja were on their trip to Konoha. Eri's body suddenly felt like it was really made of lead and was sweltering in the heat. It choked her up and made her shiver with fright.

These were the real deal, this was a Kage, the best of the best, the strongest of the strongest, and her and Sasori alone were to test his capabilities. Her palm began to sweat and her throat and mouth dry. Could she do this? Would she survive?

A shrill high-pitched ringing knocked her out of her thoughts. The guards of the Kazekage heard it too and immediately tensed.

Then she saw him, standing erect before the brigade, strong and lithe. Amazingly he wasn't in Hiruko like most battles…he didn't have to be.

Remembering a little late she too jumped out of the trees and onto the road below. Her grace eluded her and she stumbled and a bit but still the guards revered her with fearful curiosity.

"Kazekage! Ichibi! Show yourself!" shouted Sasori, his voice demanding and thick with loathing emotion. Eri shiver and her stomach flip-flopped in hunger for that voice.

The curtains to the main float opened and a person walked out in the Kazekage uniform. The air seemed to thicken and it seemed static clogged Eri's ears, and chakra buzzed around erratically.

"Akatsuki," said the man in the Kazekage clothes, his voice too sounded young and full of loathing.

He took off his hat, to Eri's surprise his hair was almost the same bright red as Sasori's. Amazed at the transaction, Eri found herself removing her hat with Sasori. The guards began to whisper and fret at the sight of Sasori's flaming scarlet hair and harshly striking, unforgiving eyes. He looked arrogantly cruel yet terribly beautiful in the way ht sun fell on his angelic face, Eri found herself blushing.

"Sasori no Akasuna…how odd to see you," replied Sasori's almost Kazekage twin.

"Yes, I can say it's been sometime since I've seen that robe and weakness," spat Sasori, his eyebrows creasing together.

"What are you up to?" asked the Kazekage.

"You won't get any answers from me," snarled Sasori back, clearly losing his cool with him.

"Then what about your new partner?" asked the twin who then turned around. The majority of the guards did turn their attention to her.

Now on the spot Eri's dry throat took its toll... she could feel the power just leaking from him and the dark rings about his eyes shook her with fear. She didn't know what to do, that was till his eyes were found on her.

His warm chocolate eyes bore into hers with heated intensity that made her heart beat leap up. She had to do this, to make him proud, to show her worth.

"Eri, my name is Eri," she said softly yet loud enough for them to hear. Eyebrows were raised and soft whispers emitted around the group.

"If your last partner wasn't as ridiculous this one sure takes the cake, Sasori no Akasuna," growled the Kazekage the sand and air around him whirled at high-speed.

It was as if you blinked you'd miss it; there was a puff of smoke and draped over Sasori's shoulders lay the 3rd Kazekage, only now a puppet. Sasori clearly didn't appreciate the comment, but he did give off a smug glare that burned holes into the Kazekage.

"Do it,' said Sasori his eyes flicking over to Eri for a millisecond, before taking on the oncoming Kazekage.

Eri shot into hand-signs and her right arm exploded into a much larger size. With the other she pulled out a kunai and, surprising the guards, merged the kunai and her hand to create a blade-like appendage over the back of her hand. It wasn't pretty but what it was designed to do wasn't either.

Even with the metal arm, Eri was miraculously fast and agile, one after another jugulars were pierced, brains were scrambled and human forms were disemboweled. Amidst all of this carnage Eri's small feet wove in and out of the lumbering feet of the Suna ninjas, swerving her body in and around the enemy ninja.

Now this wasn't to say Eri was not being hurt as well. She currently had 2 senbon in her right calf which was growing numb, and a kunai sticking awkwardly out of her left shoulder blade. Other than that small cuts and bruises covered the rest of her, the Akatsuki cloak had dong been torn to shreds. Sot there she battled alone in her one sleeved shirt with protective wrapping beneath and her thick tight canvas-like capris.

She had a good many ninja down and they thinned out, she realized, when she got a glimpse of Sasori's fight.

Somehow he had gotten the Kazekage to a standstill, his puppet amazingly flashed through katas before unleashing jutsu after another. That was all being done with one hand with the other Hiruko was taking on the guards which decided to help their wounded leader.

Staring that long was one of the most terrible decisions she made.

She could almost feel the kunai pinch in-between the metal of her shoulder and she could almost feel the wires being snipped. But most of all she felt the weight of the arm pull her down, right into a kick from a ninja.

It smashed her right in the jaw with enough power to throw her in between the Kazekage and Sasori's fight.

Her arm had returned to normal size but what felt like forever, she laid there on the ground and tried to cough the blood away that was seeping from a bitten tongue. Her chest heaved and she sputtered in and out of conscious before hearing his voice.

"ERI! Get up! Get up, Damn it! Get up!" shouted Sasori.

Eri's heavy eyelids flickered open just quick enough to see the red haired Kazekage shooting at her at an alarming speed.

She clenched her left hand and felt a gash bleeding freely on her palm. Blood was made from iron…iron was a metal.

The Kazekage had the breath knocked out of him as a large pike rose up out of nowhere and pierced him through the right side of his chest.

The partner of Sasori's called Eri stumbled to stand and her prosthetic arm hanging limply.

Temporarily distracted, he pushed his sand after her before she could react, fear made her eyes grow wide and her breath hitch. This was it this was going to be the end…

_CRASH_

The sand hit a form but it was not one with a beating heart.

Eri blinked and something stood in front of her, no _someone _stood in front of her…

Sasori did not know what compelled him so much to rescue her especially at the utter destruction of Hiruko, but he did. The scene of **his** death flowed over and over in his mind and tormented him with that guilt.

"Danna…" choked Eri, Sasori swiveled around quickly, grabbed her about the waist and pulled her along with the remaining puppet away. He could feel her hot blood running down her arm from the wound on her hand.

He landed a few feet away and safely let her down; keeping his eyes focused oh the enraged Kazekage.

"I didn't think you were much of a hero Sasori, apparently she means more than the last one," taunted the Kazekage.

Sasori said nothing but growl under his breath and reach into a back pocket. There he brought out a pill for Eri.

She looked at it confused, before he explained its use.

"It's a blood pill, it'll replenish you," he said eyes never leaving the Kazekage.

Eri's hand shook as she took it. Quickly she swallowed it.

"Can you fight?" he asked.

"No, my right arm is useless I can't move it," she whispered in returned.

Quickly he glanced back at her.

"Do you trust me?" he said suddenly startling her.

"Wha…"

"Do you trust me? Yes or no!" he shouted using his remaining puppet to deflect some sand shuriken.

Eri's throat burned and her body ached, but she trusted him? Yes of course he was after all her Danna. But what about his past partner, the Kazekage seemed to know about him and he's dead. Did he too trust Sasori-danna?

"Eri!" shouted Sasori, impatient at her stalling.

"Yes, I trust you! I trust you completely!" she replied.

Quickly Sasori turned around and replaced the damaged Kazekage puppet back in its scroll, he then turned to her.

"Good," he said before hauling her to her feet. She blushed immensely as he grabbed her wrists and held them before her. As he removed his hands Eri was amazed to find thin blue chakra strings connecting her to him.

"I have control of you now, you'll do as I instruct. Don't disappoint me, this should be an honor," he whispered into her ear. Shivers ran down her spine and it felt like hot water was being poured down her stomach. The searing breath and huskiness of it all made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"_Dance."_

With Sasori's guidance Eri flew and dodged and struck with amazing precision. It was truly incredible. He didn't jerk her around like she thought; now it was as if she were dancing. It was then she realized his puppets were art.

And now she was one of his puppets.

So now…she was his art.

She returned quickly to him, standing in front he pulled her against his body and her deep breathes matched his. Their hearts raced as one or as much as they could and it felt finally as if they were one.

Sasori could smell the sweat tricking down her spine and the feel of her hair against his neck awoke emotions and urges once lost with age. It amazed him at this new discovery.

He wanted her.

And in more ways then one.

Then it happened as she dodged the Kazekage advanced on her. Sasori couldn't make her move in time and the fearful event awakened in his mind again…

"_Danna!" shouted the blonde, but it was too late, everything from the toes to the fingertips was covered and he could do nothing but stare in shock._

_Slice_

Eri stared down at her abdomen to see the lines of red swell on her now exposed flesh. Her stomach flipped as the blood began to flow. And then…she screamed.

Laughter rang from the throat of the Kazekage as she fell limp against the chakra strings. Horrified Sasori ran to her side as fast as he could. Her front was getting soaked in her own blood and she began choking on the red substance that bubbled up in her esophagus.

He tore off his cloak exposing his plain hooded one beneath and lifter her up using the cloak to soak up the blood.

He said noting as he picked her up bridal style, laying her useless arm over the bunched up cloak and took off.

Her head bobbed unconsciously against his shoulder.

He couldn't let her go, like him, he wouldn't let her go. He was too broken to leave alone again. He needed that condolence that she produced. She couldn't die because if she did…he would too.

The trip seemed to take so long; he ran and ran never stopping. He couldn't every second he wasted another second she lost.

As he crossed the boarder it began to rain, making the dust that clung to his form wet and muddy, slowing him down, his feet got stuck in the mud, but still he ran on.

She was so cold, so terribly cold as he ran into the village of Amegakure. The storm had soaked him thought and he knew he didn't have much time left in her.

He kicked down the door to the hideout and began running to the infirmary, screaming all the way.

"Kakuzu! Kakuzu get down here now damit! Kakuzu!" he shouted.

Again he kicked the infirmary door down and ran to an empty cot. Gently he bent his cold stiff arms to lay her on the bed. Her pale blonde hair stuck to her face which was terribly white and her lips were blue.

Kakuzu slid in and ran to the puppet's side.

"What the he…" he caught a glimpse of Eri and he stopped mid-sentence.

Hastily he removed the cloak to gasp. The cloak was soaked and the 3 red gashes still bled.

Sasori backed away unsure of what to do. The sight so much blood…her blood…it scared him, it just scared him. There was no other way to put it he was terrified of the thought that he would lose again someone so close to him.

Kakuzu took a pair of shears and cut away the damaged shirt. Ignoring any male vibes he quickly took a clean cloth and doused it in disinfectant. Gently he began to clean the cuts. Over his shoulder he shouted for Sasori to retrieve 3 blood pills from a cabinet. Stiffly the shinobi made it too the cabinet his eyes frozen in despair. He gave them to Kakuzu who ordered him to feed on to her.

His hands felt too large and cumbersome as he opened her lips and dropped the pill in. As gently as he could he rubbed her throat so she swallowed and left the two remaining pills at her side.

Kakuzu began to stitch her up when an odd carbon buildup began to crust over the wounds.

"What the…" began Kakuzu. Sasori pushed him out of the way, splattering water over him.

"She's healing herself," he said in amazement, "That's carbon mixed with iron and other things… she's rebuilding herself."

Kakuzu watched in shock. The tow men stood there unsure what to do next.

"I'll just bandage them up…go ask Konan-sama if she has some spare clothes, we need to get her out of these wet ones," ordered Kakuzu. Reluctantly Sasori obeyed.

Konan scowled at him as usual but did hand over the necessities. Awkwardly she asked if he was going to dress her himself. When he shook is head 'no' she replied, "Do you trust Kakuzu to?"

In the end Konan agreed to do it for them. Sasori appeared content were as Kakuzu a little downtrodden.

She walked out of the infirmary a few minutes later and threw the wet clothes to Sasori whom she ordered to change and wash his clothes.

He complied only so he would have something to do. It was getting boring quickly with no Eri to talk too.

. that was 17 written pages and 7 typed pages!!! Ugh!!! Well please, tell me what you think!! Reviews are greatly appreciated!! Did anyone get the connection between the title o the chapter and a certain event in the story?? If you did let me know you'll get a free art request!! And remember Blooper chapter is the last chapter, if you got a blooper let me know!!!

Kuroi Hihane


	8. Showing Truths, Hiding Lies

**Showing Truth, Hiding Lies**

Chapter 8

-For the Reviewers!!!

**Satoru-** Of course! I care about all of my readers, especially the ones that review! As for the end well I planned it for about 14-15 chapters. Not including the blooper one. I hope you can stick with me through it all, that and I'm stuck between a SasukexOc, ZetsuxOc, or an ItachixOc to create next. I can't decide.

**Rosi-chan-** Of course I'm so happy to see that you reviewed!!! Yes Eri looked like she was going to die a lot wasn't she? And Kakuzu as a rival? How about Itachi and Hidan…opps! I've said too much!!

**Koji- I'm** glad you think it's great.

**Soundtrack for the chapter:**I suggest _Hero/Heroine _by BoysLikeGirls or _The No Seatbelt Song_ by Brandnew.

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

It was the middle of the night when Sasori awoke. His covers were twisted and mangled about him and his pillow on the floor. His breathing pounded in his ears and the room was cold and moist, making him feel nauseas.

It was the fifth time he had awaked that night, he had never liked staying in the headquarters because of the terrible temperatures and the crazy homicidal lunatics that also shared the dwelling, but he had stayed…for her.

His dreams plagued him, waking him up mostly, with things he didn't understand and thoughts and emotions he couldn't comprehend. It was all so confusing, so strange; he couldn't quite grasp what it all meant.

Each dream…she was in it, sometimes she was warm the others cold but in each she laid there beside him…why he didn't know, but to him these dreams these phantoms…seemed so real.

He crawled out of the mass of sheets and blankets and made sure not to make sounds as he stood and walked out of his room, no one was up or about at this time of night, no one but him.

One foot after another he walked to the infirmary. The cold stone floor beneath his feet seemed to go on forever. The buzzing of the lights above and the dripping of stagnant water was all that accompanied him on his midnight walk.

Then suddenly the door loomed before him. The dark door knob was cold and untouched.

There was little noise but that itself deafened him. The click of the door opening under his hands surprised him, but noting moved…nothing but the rush of memories of days past and months spent.

She still laid there, the off white sheets tucked around her. A soft rose blush was on her cheeks where the once cold clammy once was.

And image of him flashed thought his head so violently that he clutched his head before leaning on her bedside.

"_Danna…"_ it was his voice.

Sasori's legs grew weak.

"_Danna…"_

His breath hurt and his lungs ached.

"_Danna…"_

His vision swam and it wasn't Eri he saw… it was him. Cold, dead and in Zetsu's arms before being laid to rest under a stone. His vision warped unpredictably as he tried to bring himself from the memory but everywhere he turned his face was all he saw. Suddenly, as if someone doused him, he was chilled to the bone, like he had been thrown into an icy see, his breath caught and he began to choke.

Then the most gruesome image that his mind ever showed him literally floated up in front of him.

**(It get's gross here kiddies so if you want just skip this paragraph or read and puke. Kuroi)**

The flesh had been mostly eaten away and the one eye was partially gone that or a parasite had bore into it and all that remained was an ugly greenish brown residue. The once golden hair was now mostly raw red scalp and slimy yellow green strands. The lips had rotted off and the skin and gums had seceded to where the exposed tooth showed through. The only thing untouched was the mechanical eye that the socket of the eye now overwhelmed. The taunt blue, green skin twitched and the lone eyeball rolled to look at him, the clouded blue iris looked straight into his eyes and the maggot eaten jaw opened.

'**Danna…"**

He screamed.

A clattering of metal and plastic woke him, gasping for breath and with his vision swimming he fought to get away from the thing that held him down. He thrashed and pried, but the dream had exhausted him so his protests were no better than a child's. He gave up.

What held him down pulled at him gently, mutely complying with it in his blurry vision he obeyed and what felt like crawling was rewarded with his body collapsing onto something soft and not only that but warm. He pressed his face against it savoring the heat.

Then something warm and gentle began to stroke him. One his shoulders and neck, his face and his hair, the touches were soft and tender and he did not stray against them.

And odd sensation crept over him. The feeling of safety overwhelmed him like a large blanket, encasing him and pulling him towards it. He enjoyed this feeling for never before had he truly experienced it. It calmed him and it almost felt like he could fall asleep and know that no dreams would haunt him.

Seconds, minutes, hours, something passed by before he began wondering what was holding him…no not what…but who?

Sluggishly his mind went through a list of the members. No one, not one person even drunk would ever even dream of holding him so it had to be…her.

He had to know, was it her? He tried to speak but his throat was thick, it took him a while to just remember how to push air out through his esophagus. His first try to say her name was responded to by whatever his head laid on leapt up and down with a quick inhaling and exhaling of breath. It was a response but he wanted more. He tried again and her name came out much more clearly then before but now the soft caresses stopped and there was no response.

There was silence for awhile before one soft word was uttered.

"Where?"

He didn't know at first what she was talking about, but then it hit him. She was partially blind and had never been in the HQ for more than a day.

"Eri… you're in the infirmary," he said softly before he opened his eyes to look up at her. His own vision was blurry before clearing slightly. She was still pale but there was a flash in her eyes of concern.

He was so delirious that the words were out of his mouth before he could even think about them.

"How are you awake? You were in coma."

Eri blushed, and Sasori realized it was her hand that was lying in his hair and it was her breasts that he laid against. If he did not feel so drugged he would have gasped.

"You…you were crying Sasori-danna well... sort of… you didn't have tears but…you were so sad sounding, so helpless. I heard you Sasori-danna… and I woke up because…you needed me…"she said somewhat breathless from speaking so much. The red hue grew on her cheeks.

His eyes flicked around to find that he had collapsed onto her bed and pulled himself up upon her. He went red in the face and began to speak until her warm finger fell over his lips.

"Shh… it's ok Sasori-danna…its ok…" she cooed and pulled his head down against her shoulder and patted his hair.

He could hear her heart racing and her breathing hum in her chest. The sense of safety melted through him calming him and soothing his wounded heart.

He was surprised to fell a soft wet droplet fall onto his cheek. He peered up to see her smiling down to him tears leaking out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

"All I ever wanted Sasori-danna…was to make you happy… I wanted to see you smile and I wanted to make you proud. And when you gave me such a privilege to dance as your puppet I couldn't have been happier. But Sasori-danna I'm sorry I failed you, I didn't move quick enough," her voice now began to choke up and her smile had disappeared, "I saw…how much you loved…them…and…I wanted… you to…you to…love me as much as you loved them…I wanted…I wanted…you to love me… but I failed Sasori-danna…I'm nothing but a failure…I'm sorry."

After that she just sobbed, attempting to wipe the tears way only succeeded in letting forth more to gush down her cheeks.

Sasori's eyebrows pushed together. She really wanted him to be happy to love; she was so upset about it. Pitying him, the one thing that he didn't even let himself do for himself. She was doing the unspeakable, what shinobi tried so valiantly not too.

And now as he looked at her he couldn't believe how he could ever be angry at her. He felt so compelled to help her…to aid her…

To love her.

That is…if he could ever let go of the skeleton that hid in his closet.

Lightly and without words he crawled off of her and arranged himself besides her. He enveloped her shoulders and drew her to him like he had seen so many others do to comfort the ones that they cared about, now it was his turn.

She clutched onto him with her one good arm and bawled into his neck. Tenderly he stroked her hair and nuzzled his face into her ear and jaw, letting her warm skin prickle his senses.

He relaxed them onto the bed and positioned her between his legs. Her crying lessened down and her body ceased trembling.

"I don't think…" he began, "that words mean much…but…Eri-dono…I forgive you…"

Sasori savored the feelings that she created in him, the warmth she emitted and the friction her legs and hips made against his almost made him moan in happiness. It had been so long since he had felt such pleasures…if he ever had at all. If he could stop time he would have just so the feelings never did.

For so long he prided himself on being so emotionless, but she had broke that shell he lived in, that scared him at first but now, he simply didn't understand it, this striving that he gave in to. This drugged life feeling that she alone pulled him into, this encasing of swirling emotions that felt so good yet so terrible all at the same time. It was as if he couldn't breath yet he didn't want too.

He felt her fingers slacken on his shirt and at first he thought she was going to pull ways in rejection, when instead a soft snoring wafted up to his ears. She had fallen asleep in his arms.

She was so warm and slowly she faded into consciousness and out of sleep. She could feel the sheets pulled up to her shoulders but there was something else that was on her.

She turned about partway; a twinge erupted from her stomach. She forgot about them when she realized what was going on.

Sasori in his tight black t-shirt lay facing the wall right five inches away from her. His legs were entwined with hers.

She was in his bed.

Blood pumped to her face so quickly that she thought she might pass out from blood loss to the rest of her body. She breathed deeply to compose herself, but all was in vain as said red head rolled over and looked at her.

"Good morning," he drawled his eyes unfocused and his hair messier than normal. To Eri he looked like some kind of SEX GOD!!!

"m-morning…" she stuttered as he sat up.

He looked at her curiously before leaning over towards her.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Are _you_?" she almost shouted.

Sasori looked as if he'd been slapped. Eri just sat there looking violated.

"There's no reason to be so rude," he said curtly.

Eri looked like she was about to explode.

"Rude?! You think I'm rude? You're not the one who woke up in someone else's bed while totally defenseless!" she shouted.

"Oh…" Sasori looked a taken back and ashamed, "I didn't' mean it like that…"

Surprised by his emotional retort, Eri sat quietly. Sasori too sat puzzled at her outburst, to him to bring her back to his room and hide her from prying eyes sounded like a good idea but, in her mind it seemed off.

"Sasori-danna…why did you bring me back here?" she asked finally after an uncomfortable silence.

His brown eyes stared up at her; she could see him deciding his words carefully.

"When you sleep you are most vulnerable," he said, "I trusted you by my side…my life as you trusted me with yours."

It was an odd way to reply but a reply none-the-less.

"Well…that and…" he couldn't hold in the blush, "the others are coming back today…the majority men…"

Eri sat in awe of the red-headed puppet-man, he had either felt so compassionate towards her to do that or he felt that she was his only and considered her a slave to his on whims…she wanted to go with the first assumption.

"Oh, Sasori-danna…that was…really nice of you…" she said blushing just as madly as him.

"Hn," he said softly refusing to look straight at her and settled on the empty dresser on the other side of the room, it was caked with dust but in the dim light of the morning it didn't matter. No one used it anyway.

"I'm going to go get a shower if that's ok with you," she said, knocking him out of his thoughts.

"Wait…let me see your wounds," he commanded.

Eri hesitated something she hardly ever did. Slowly she glanced down at her stomach before lifting up her shirt so that he could see the bandages about her stomach. In a very embarrassing position he reached behind her and began to unravel the tape, while Eri tried not to faint because of the warm breath being released on her lower stomach.

The white cloth fell away to reveal four pale white lines across her stomach, three that were thicker and more jagged and one more farther down that was thin but had stitching scars. Sasori's eyebrows furrowed. Eri just looked down and pulled anxiously at her shirt hem.

"Eri-dono you were wounded with three gashes, why are there four scars?" he asked quickly, trying to stare her straight in the eye. He had never worried for someone but **him** before and he had never liked the emotion and now it was almost even worse than before.

Eri bit her lip and fumbled childishly with her shirt, she didn't want to answer that question. It was too personal, she just **couldn't**.

"Eri-dono…tell me…" he growled softly as he rose to her height and grasped her forearms, she stopped moving her fingers and just froze in his grip, "Eri-dono! What the hell is going on?"

Eri didn't look at him. She couldn't. She was too ashamed.

"It's about…my past… Please…Sasori-danna…you're hurting my arms," she whispered to him.

Sasori gasped and removed his arms; he could vaguely see the red marks he had caused. He couldn't believe that he was getting so worked up that he had hurt her, but DAMN someone injured her and hell he'd find out.

"Who did this to you?" he commanded, his voice hard and forceful making her stare up at him through her bangs

"I don't know…I was too young to remember…Sasori-danna…everyone had it done," she whispered, and gasped as she let out more than she wanted.

Sasori's eyes flared at her response, "What do you mean 'everyone had it done'?" he asked his voice softly deadly. She couldn't have possibly done this to herself could she have?

Eri bit her lip almost hard enough to make it bleed, she dropped her shirt and attempted to turn away when he pulled her back against him, and wrapping his arms about her so she couldn't get away he held her there while she struggled, though it was useless because her right arm was still ineffective.

After she had run out of energy she laid limp against his body. She didn't cry, she was determined to look strong even if she was in her most humiliating position ever.

Sasori sat down and pulled her onto his lap and stroked her hair gently. She just laid her head down and relaxed in his grip, his strong powerful grip.

"Everyone…everyone in the slave trade had it done Sasori-danna…only the purebred ones didn't get it done…danna…they made it so…so…I could never have children," after announcing that she began to sniff, but she cried too much the night before to cry now.

Sasori was simply outraged, why he didn't exactly know, but he wanted to kill something or someone. She was too innocent, too innocent to do such a thing to.

"Eri-dono…" he whispered delicately into her ear, "Why were you there? How were you a slave? Who made you get this done?"

Eri didn't look at him still; she buried her face into his neck before whispering…

"They did it so that no matter what they did, no one would know."

Eri felt his body tense and his breathing get deep and harsh. His arms tightened around her pulling her closer as a growl rose in his throat.

"Eri-dono…tell me who they were, I'll slaughter them Eri-dono, I'll massacre them till there's nothing left," he growled.

Eri bowed her head.

"They're already gone Sasori-danna…I destroyed them…" she said softly.

He stared down at her, she was after all strong, he had seen that, but after the events of the night, he couldn't believe that someone had ever stolen her innocence from her, she was so pure…yet as she said…she had killed.

He wanted to say 'good for you' but no words could voice how enraged he was that someone had hurt her in such a way, how cowardly they had been and how she now had to pay for their sins.

"Eri-dono…if anyone ever does something like that to you, I don't care if they are Akatsuki or someone else, you tell me and Eri-dono I'll destroy them," he whispered to her.

Eri's cloudy blue eyes stared up at him almost brimming with tears. There was nothing she could say that could repay him for what he promised. Nothing at all she could say.

So she acted.

She leaned up and closed her eyes before pressing her lips to his cheek. Her own cheeks flushed with scarlet.

Sasori stared ahead amazed at the action she had just initiated. No one, not even Chiyo baa-chan, had ever done that. He didn't know what to do, nothing in his entire life had ever prepared him for what she had did.

"I…I don't know…what to do…" he whispered to her his brown eyes wide in amazement.

A small grin graced her features as she pressed her nose to his.

"_Just kiss back,"_ she whispered.

Her lips fell to his in a chaste kiss of adoration before he woke up from his amazement and moved his lips to hers. The friction and intensity of such an act made his skin tingle and something seem to explode inside of him. This experience…was like no other. He positioned a hand behind her head and pulled her closer. He wanted to feel the friction, the heat, the passion that swept him away. Her soft lips were his, all his, this sensation was his no one else's this; this was what he desired so very much, what he had strived for as a child. The intimacy he had never gotten and the acceptation of another he never expected.

He was breathless as their lips pulled apart. It hadn't gotten as heated as what most would expect but it was still the most amazing thing that he had ever taken part of.

A smile lit up Eri's face and a soft rose color flushed her cheeks.

"I need to get a shower now," she said and got up off of his lap. She squinted her eyes and unhinged a few things before her right are just fell off, normally it didn't do that but since some of the wires were snipped it didn't have anything holding it on. Sasori stared in amazement.

"Will you hook up some new wires to that? Their Ab ones so there pretty easy to find," she asked. Sasori nodded dumbly.

She then disappeared behind the bathroom door. Sasori looked down at the metal arm beside the bed before picking it up. She was missing a part of metal that had been plucked off when the wires were cut and the wires stuck out haphazardly. He was surprised that he hadn't been stabbed by them when he was sleeping with her last night.

He cleared his throat after that thought and a blush rose to his cheeks.

The connectors were simple and he could estimate the length of the wires. Since no one was around he gave a goofy grin and went to work.

In the lobby of the Akatsuki headquarters, figures entered the doorway and met with others already there.

"Konnichiwa, Itachi-san, Kisame-san," said Pein, Konan said nothing.

"Konnichiwa, Pein-san," replied Itachi for both of them as they removed their hats.

Shortly after another group of partners walked through. After exchanging their hellos they dispersed into the vast hallways of the headquarters. Most walking down the corridor towards the rooms. Each had their own room to themselves, thought only Itachi and Kisame knew of the new addition to the Akatsuki 'family'.

Hidan and Kakuzu walked stiff-legged, something odd was in the air and as they passed Sasori's room they could hear the shower running and smell a fragrance they'd never smelled on a man before. Then it hit them that Sasori didn't shower so why was the shower running.

Hidan, having no shame, promptly opened the door to a surprised Sasori with his glasses on pouring over wires and papers.

The two stared at each other for a few milliseconds before Hidan stated, "Who's in the shower?"

"My partner," he said curtly, unwilling to answer questions to personal especially to him.

"Who might that be?" asked Hidan, now curious about the news.

"Does it matter?" replied Sasori getting annoyed.

"Well yeah, because they could be using their shower not yours," said Hidan, Kakuzu stood behind him observing it all quietly.

Sasori scowled. "If you don't want to be hurt, I suggest you leave while you're ahead."

"Why? Damn it I wanna know!" growled Hidan back.

"Yes, we might as well know who it is," came Kakuzu's reply from behind.

There was a click and the bathroom door opened but no one was there.

A cool piece of steel was pressed to Hidans' temple. He glanced over to his right to see a blonde female her hair still dripping wet and one sleeve vacant.

"Wow…" began Hidan.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she growled softly.

"Don't worry Eri-dono, he's part of us," said Sasori who watched Hidan's expression carefully.

Eri lowered her arm and the blade slithered back into her arm, making Hidan shudder, well that was before his eyes found her bosom.

"Whoa ho ho! Now may I ask you name miss?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows.

Eri scowled and walked over to Sasori's side ignoring him completely. Kakuzu chuckled and Hidan's face fell.

"Here," said Sasori as he handed the metal appendage to her. She leaned down so that he could reattach it. You could practically see Hidan drool at the lose t-shirt.

No one noticed the small piece of paper underneath Sasori's hand that had specific numbers on it.

Eri thanked him and worked it to make sure it worked right. In a flash she and Sasori were fighting it out right there in front of Hidan and Kakuzu's eyes.

"I think I missed something, why the heck are they fighting?" asked Hidan slightly alarmed.

"We're just training," said Eri who dodged a quick foot to the side of her face. She returned it with a left punch that Sasori dodged easily, arms still raised he backed off but still stayed on his toes.

"Why don't we continue this in the training room, Eri-dono," suggested Sasori.

Eri smirked, "Sure why not, you're going to get your butt kicked anyway, Sasori-danna."

Hidan's jaw literally dropped as the two walked past.

"But didn't D-." He didn't get to finish before a pair of terribly frightening brown eyes landed on him, just begging him for a reason to beat him to a pulp.

Choosing better of himself Hidan simply walked away.

From a slightly open doorway one lone red eye peered out at the happenings in the hallway. Eri's moves, he watched her fight, were not able to be picked up that well by the shagarin, he didn't know why. It was as if there was something off about her, somehow her chakra never spiked up or down. She was defiantly what some would call; exotic.

Itachi Uchiha licked his lips. It'd been so long since he'd had one in his bed. And now he had his next target, it was only the matter of the immortal puppet that stood strongly between them.

Oh now don't tell me that didn't just get you hungry for another chapter! So who will win; Hidan the romantic, Itachi the sexy beast, or Sasori the truthful puppet? MWAHhhahahaha! Remember that the last chapter will be a blooper chapter, so if you have a blooper let me know and I'll include it! Review and I'll mention you in the next chapter. Also if you have suggestions for the sound track let me know I'll include those too.

Kuroi Hihane


	9. Dance of Change

**Dance of Change**

Chapter 9

Sorry for the terrible wait I'm sorry! But thanks so much to my cousin Namida whom helps me with all the physiological stuff and my nee-chan Kurohi who kept me going and begs for fluff and of course Rosi-chan for her love and undying affection for these characters regardless if they are mine or not. I love you guys! You're what keep me going and are the closest things to me in this entire world, my second family. This is for all of you!

-For the Reviewers!

**Satoru- **I want to award you the longest Review EVER! I loved it, ok so let's go in order:

1) I'm glad you approve of my attempt a fluff! I love it so much and it's so addictive, too bad it just fight scenes for a while…I'm kind of upset…

2) I'll really try for 15 chapters so there might be some random filler somewhere soon.

3) Sasori, jealous? OF COURSE! IT _**IS**_ 'HIS' WOMAN AFTER ALL! You just wait…you just wait…and don't think Hidan's done yet!

4) If you just reviewed with "Whee whee" I'd probably do it right back to you for the heck of it, at least you thought to write something!

5) You think of a blooper and you PM me with it so no one else knows what it is till I put it up! And a soundtrack is simply the songs I or others can suggest to listen to while reading the chapter. Like a sad song if it's a sad chapter.

**FanxForever- **Yeah Itachi and Hidan think they can beat Sasori for the only available Akatsuki female, (cause we all know what Pein and Konan are doing ha ha ha.)

**Akatsuki's Eternal Fangirl- **Thanks for enjoying it so much! I'll try to update as quick as I can! Please don't die!

**Otakucraze- **Thanks for the complements! I'll try to update as fast as I can!

**Soundtrack for the chapter:** Nickelback's _Fight for all the Wrong Reasons_ or FallOutBoy's _Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year _

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters. **This chapter contains violence and mild language.**

Please enjoy my works.

The week had past, the weather of Amegakure began to get colder, Sasori was tense and Eri cautious. They said nothing about what had happened just the week before. They didn't need to; there wasn't anything to really say. Eri didn't know why the puppet man acted in such a way, he just did. It wasn't rejection…but it again wasn't acceptance of her that he expressed.

"Sasori-danna, are you all right?" she would ask him, so caught up she would actually grab him and turn him to look at her.

His eyes were unfathomable looking, but soft when he felt her skin on his, "I was never 'all right' Eri-dono," he would reply.

If Eri asked him why he would not answer and busy himself with something else. It frustrated her to no end at him avoiding her questions, but she would not push him too much, just enough.

Often he locked himself in his room and didn't let her in, which was odd seeing he usually left his door purposely open as an invitation for her to join him. They would talk during these times, but there hadn't been much intimate interaction, they touched but Sasori didn't push her into anything regardless of how she taunted him silently.

Often she would arrive in his room while he read at his desk, in only her over sized t-shirt and little shorts to talk to him before going to bed.

Though she would see him staring out of the corner of her vision, as she lay sprawled on his bed. He never made any abrupt advances. The only thing that awoke him was the soft kiss she would plant on his cheek by leaning over his shoulder, pressing her body to his to show him that he was allowed to touch. Only rarely would he sigh and lean back against her and bury his face into her stomach. Those times were precious to both of them.

But their bonding time was up. Battle was to take place. The both knew that they might not come out alive no matter how they boasted.

They spent Monday and Tuesday at the HQ. Things there were also edgy. Often more than one person was in the training rooms and the cussing and arguments were frequent.

It startled Eri when she realized that while at the hideout Sasori hardly ever let her side. He wasn't breathing down her neck but he would stay in the same room as her always having something to do as to not look suspicious. Eri saw through it whenever Hidan would walk into the room.

Sasori would look up at him, his brown eyes flashing then lower them to his work as if not to care. These silent warnings kept occurring for every member. The only one bold enough to glare back was none other than Itachi Uchiha.

Their eyes would lock and the chakra about them would sound off like a rattlesnake.

Irritated by this often, Eri would leave to soon be followed by Sasori, of course after a time period that was not suspicious.

"Why do you keep following me?" she growled softly once they were safely in her room Sasori glared softly.

"Don't be naïve," he replied equally upset.

"They're not just going to attack me!" she replied.

"How do you know? You haven't even spent more than a day with them!" he shouted back.

"That's because **YOU** won't let me!" she shouted.

The said nothing for sometime, Eri just sat down on her bed and brought her knees to her chest. The upcoming battle had them all worked up, she hated yelling at him but she just couldn't let it go.

Eri glanced over as she felt the weight of her bed shift. Sasori sat beside her, is eyes focused on the other side of the room. The awkwardness that leaked from him was evident.

"I never protected anything human because I wanted to before," he said simply, "I don't know exactly how it works."

Eri stared down at her toes. Her wool socks were supposed to keep her warm but right now she couldn't have been colder.

She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. He stiffened at first but relaxed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to him. He nodded but said nothing in return.

Everyone was ready for their fight. It was an immense one and surprisingly enough many were excited for it. Sasori seemed to be jumpy but Eri couldn't have been more relaxed.

Often she would sneak out into town for long periods of time. She never told Sasori where she ran off to, but he still kept his eyes on the rest of the group, monitoring them suspiciously.

Sasori minded his own business for some time on the day for the fight, Eri had run off again and he awaited her return. Hiruko was back in working order and he had a few other puppets up his sleeves and ready to be used. The only thing that worried him was what lay oh his bed, a ribbon about its wrist. It lie in wait. His eyebrows pinched together, how was he supposed to give her a gift right before a fight? Why was he giving her a gift at all? It was all so confusing. He wanted her to be happy, it was odd but true, and he didn't like to see her strain herself and his protectiveness was already enough to make him crack so why did he go out of his way to make her a freak'n gift?

He smacked a hand to his forehead at the simple yet insane answer.

He was utterly infatuated with her.

Or in other words…he had a crush…a BIG one.

And he was terrified to what this battle might bring. He cursed himself for waiting to give this to her. This was too much to think about, he should be worrying about the fight not what he was going to do with her.

Now how would he give it to her? He could just walk up to her, give it to her and walk away.

Or,

He could confess all of the emotions that he had for her, confusing or not, in a letter, lay it and the gift on her bed and wait for her to find it. Then when she did, savor the beautiful look on her face then pick her up swing her around collapse onto the bed…

Wow, this was really cramping his style.

Sasori shook his head. Obviously she wasn't going to freak out over it, but, he didn't know, would she feel guilty about it?

A knock at the door roused him from his thoughts. Quickly shoving the gift under the bed, he opened the door. Half of him wanted it to be her and another half wished it were the Grim Reaper to take this misery from him.

Cold red eyes stared at him. Ah…darn…

"It's time to move, where is Eri-chan?" asked Itachi. Sasori resisted the urge to slug him right in his pretty boy face for using such an honorific. Eri was too pure to be called 'chan' by such a…weasel.

'She should be returning soon," growled Sasori through clenched teeth. He'd work with the Uchiha, but like hell would he enjoy it.

Quickly he climbed into Hiruko and made his way out to the main room. The blades of his back felt heavy for he hadn't worn them for sometime. He didn't want to use them…he hated to admit it but, he was afraid of what she might think of them. But it's not like he would EVER come out and say that.

Pein and Konan were going to be the only ones in the sealing cavern but holograms of all the others would be used, as usual. Unsurprisingly Zetsu would be on look-out duty.

Silently Eri walked through the door, hat and cloak on and acting as if she'd been there the entire time, Sasori sighed in relief. Earning an odd look from Kisame.

"You know your stations; don't let them in until everything is complete. Dismissed," said Pein. Tobi…was no where to be seen.

The operation began.

The fight, they suspected, would take place on the borders of Konoha, Ame and Kusa. Pein insisted the farthest away from the HQ the better. Zetsu was already there scouting the area.

The group dismissed in a similar direction though they all had strategic posts to cover. Some were on the Kusa side others on Ame soil, the enemy would take up the Konoha soil.

During the trip no one said anything. They were all to focused on the fight that loomed ahead.

Eri reclined on a log and crossed her arms over her chest, sighing, she set to taking a nap. Sasori wasn't as thrilled with her decision.

"What do you think you're doing?" he growled impatiently.

Eri just glanced over at him and giggled, "What are you so worried about?"

"How about the homicidal ninjas that are on their way to kill us?" he asked making Hiruko's scorpion tail flicker in irritation, much like a cat.

"If you're so worried do you want me to set up some traps?" she asked sitting up on her log and looking at him from underneath her hat.

"Please do," he said monotone.

Eri walked up to a tree and jumped up into one of the highest branches. Once there she pulled out a large amount of wire and attached small blades to all the ends. She then flung them into far off directions, on the ends she didn't put blades she pulled down with her to where Sasori was standing. Startling him she pulled out a kunai and pricked the tips of her fingers on her left hand, a small bead of blood popped out and she laid the strands of wire in them. Her blood turned gray and the wires became part of her fingertips.

"Kekkei Genkai?" he asked.

Eri looked over to him, "I don't know. Don't know my folks." She then sat back down on her log.

Sasori said nothing. Eri caught him staring at her. She sighed.

"The wires are very thin but taunt so if one breaks I'll know. Their also very sensitive so they'll vibrate if someone talks near them," she explained.

"Ah," replied Sasori.

Minutes passed and the cool autumn air chilled them. They were tense as off to their left a bomb detonated.

"Seems like Itachi and Kisame have some visitors," said Sasori. Eri nodded and then jerked her hand severing the wires.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked softly.

"Their here, hide we'll catch them by surprise if we're lucky," she whispered. The two leapt back into the trees behind them.

Kisame couldn't believe it; here he was again, this…green THING! Half of him was glad he'd get to chop this guy up, the other side burnt at the green suit he wore.

"So we meet again villains!" shouted the senior bowl-cut. He struck an odd pose and the rest of the team save for one groaned.

Itachi didn't seem to be too worried especially strange since a Hyuga was with the group. His ego was too big for that, there was an available woman on the premises. He couldn't dare afford to get hurt or look bad…not like he ever did.

"Kisame, don't attack till they do," he said softly.

"Of course," replied the shark man with a grin of terribly sharp teeth.

Hidan was just as happy as a clam. His opponents were just what he was looking for. Well just about, until they fought back.

A kunai was lodged in his forehead and some shuriken in his stomach.

"THAT GIRL JUST KILLED ME! WHAT THE HELL?" he shouted while yanking them out. Kakuzu glared over at the others.

"So we have to fight the Kazekage and his siblings, how…interesting," he said while Hidan cussed and cursed.

The red head stepped forward, "Go now or die."

Hidan turned to look at them; he grinned and made Temari shudder.

"I can't die… I'm immortal you just saw that for yourself," he said as his skin began to change color.

The sand in Gaara's gourd began to spill out, "we'll see about that."

Eri and Sasori watched from a distance as large trees, on after another, fell down with sickening cracks. Eri had been right; their opponents were here and with vengeance.

"Let me do something before we show ourselves please, Sasori-danna," she asked.

Hiruko nodded in approval.

Eri clapped her hands together, did a few signs then opened her right palm open and sucked in a deep breath before blowing what looked like gray mist from her hand. Quickly it multiplied and spread all over the area, it was easy enough to see through but an odd smell came about.

"A metallic smell?" asked Sasori.

Eri grinned, "the dust is merely tiny particles of metal designed to infect a person through their lungs, once they have enough in them I can pull the particles together and destroy their lungs, that or I might be able to blind them."

Sasori silently gawked at such a jutsu. "What's it called?"

"Kinzoku shimo no jutsu, metal frost," she whispered as a large tree fell into the small clearing they hid in.

Into the fog stepped four people, one more than the other teams. A blonde haired youth stared into the mist with caution and fury.

"Come out Akatsuki! I know you're here! I Naruto Uzumaki will stop you!" he shouted. Eri's pale eyes widened.

"Sasori-danna! They're only children! I can't fight them," she hissed over to him.

"Eri-dono…you don't have a choice it's too late," he shot back.

"I can't kill something that I can never have!" she cried back. A kunai came through the leaves and lodged itself in the bark only a few centimeters from her right eye.

"That should be your answer," he replied and opened on of his scrolls and another puppet popped out. He then landed safely on the forest floor facing his opponents.

Eri, still saddened, followed him down out of the tree. From under the bridge of her hat she could see the blonde haired boy and a pink haired girl along with a man with silver hair and another woman in the back. She had no idea who these people were.

"Hatake Kakashi, how nice to see you again," said Sasori. The silver haired man scowled.

"Sasori no Akasuna," he said, "Yes isn't a treat to see you."

Eri came to the conclusion that they knew Sasori somehow. She felt awkward at the thought that she really didn't know everything about the puppet man.

"Mind telling us who you partner is?" asked the older woman in the back. Eri shifted uneasily, the woman was very pretty and her best bet was that she knew Sasori too.

Hiruko looked back at her expectantly. She knew he expected her to say something; she after all was in the Akatsuki.

"My name is Eri," she said she didn't dare take off her hat until Sasori did.

"I'm not familiar with an S-ranked shinobi called "Eri," said the man named Kakashi. The woman nodded.

"I'm not very well known," she answered.

"You're the ninja that Gaara fought!" shouted the blonde haired boy. Eri looked at him with confusion. She had but one guess who this 'Gaara' was. "She's the one that can make spears with her hands!"

Now she knew. So the Kazekage had survived.

"We will give you one chance to leave, we advise you to take it," boomed Sasori's voice. The Konoha ninjas glared at him.

"You won't get away for killing these people, I won't let you," said the boy named Naruto.

"Please, Take my danna's warning," pleaded Eri, they stared at her sincerity.

"You won't fool us Akatsuki!" shouted the pink haired girl.

Hiruko's tail swung around and embedded itself in the ground only a few feet from them.

"Little girl you irritate me…" growled, his voice laced with hatred. Her green eyes widened in fear as she brought her hands up in front of her to shield her. Eri watched the woman growl and punch a tree. The tree fell over with a crack. Eri was in awe and frightened at the same time.

"Come now Sasori don't be such a coward, show yourself and fight like a man!" she shouted.

Eri's eyes lit up with anger, for the entire time that she knew him, everyone had talked to him with and honorific, even his enemies, now this blonde haired woman thought that she could talk down about _**her **_Danna? If Eri didn't know who she was then it was either she knew very little or this woman wasn't anyone special, but either way she was in for a rude awakening.

Eri tore at her faster than the Konoha ninjas could react she had come face to face with the woman her breath heaving and the air around her crackling. Furious, Eri stared her down, she would make her pay. Sasori was her danna and she wouldn't let anyone, ANYONE, forget it.

"Don't you ever talk to Sasori-danna without respect," she hissed her blue eyes thin as slits and as fearsome as a tiger.

The woman swallowed but did not flinch.

"You're one to talk, seeing that you don't even address me as Hokage," she snarled back.

Quickly Eri caught the fist aimed at her with her right hand, stopping the chakra induced hit. The metal didn't even squeak. She held firm as she swung her waist around and planted a foot to the side of the woman's face, knocking her to the ground. It was then that the fight started.

The pink haired girl, rage written on her face, charged at Eri with her fist drawn back in a punch. Eri flipped her hat of too see better and sidestepped the punch, ducked underneath the girl and shot a metal fist up into her stomach making her hack up blood and collapse. All the while Sasori jerked his puppets to take on the oncoming Kakashi and Naruto. Eri supposed that the two women were medics because they were back on their feet in seconds and ready to fight again.

Naruto's clones encircled around the puppet man as Kakashi tried to grab his feet from beneath the earth only to be surprised when Hiruko's large tail swung around and pushed the Naruto clones in his spot instead making the two get entangled in their own attacks. Hiruko landed safely away from them as he initiated a few jutsus of his own. He smirked from underneath, he wondered if an assumption he had would prove to be true.

The words rung in his head even if he didn't say them aloud as his puppet made distinct hand signs. "Satetsu." (_Iron sand)_

Sand picked up from the ground and shot at the man and boy. The bullet like projectiles flashing through the air before Kakashi grabbed Naruto and in their place were logs. Sasori smirked.

"Still tense on your feet I see Kakashi," he muttered softly as more projectiles sped out behind him and struck the silver haired man and blonde haired boy. They were only scratched by it but the poison began to affect them almost instantly.

Seeing the males becoming infected Sakura and Tsunade turned their attention away from the furious female blonde. Eri growled and ripped a kunai from her pouch and hurled it at them as she flew through hand signs.

Tsunade and Sakura gasped the wrong thing to do. Eri clapped her hands together and the air around them suddenly became very tight. The fog seemed to darken. They blocked the kunai only to collapse to the ground hacking for breath.

Eri stood over her opponents a stony look on her usual calm façade. She glanced over at Sasori who stared down at his opponents, Hiruko showed no emotion and neither did the marionette human inside.

"You…won't…defeat…me…" came a choked voice as the blonde haired boy, shaking, began to stand up. Hiruko's tail sideswiped him and threw him into a tree. Sasori appeared before him, Hiruko's hand reached out with a syringe of liquid that he quickly stabbed into the boy's neck making him scream.

Eri stared at her danna with confusion, he never showed compassion, especially not to his opponents, "What are you doing?"

Sasori looked over at her, Hiruko staring her down. "He's the bearer of the Kyubi, he cannot die. We'll take him back to the HQ with us."

Inwardly Eri sighed. She didn't like killing kids.

The cracking of rock behind her made her freeze stiff. She turned around and was able to jump away quickly as the elder medic swung a fist at her head. She watched in amazement as the force of her punch against the ground made the air explode away along with the particles. Inside Eri cursed, usually no one could get out of that attack. Slowly the pink haired girl got to her feet, a hand with healing chakra at her chest. Eri's best bet was that they were speeding up the absorption of the particles, like what would happen naturally if she didn't initiate the jutsu. The body would just break down the particles and use them as minerals.

The pink haired girl turned and stared at Eri, while the older one took off after Sasori and the other males. She wanted to go and finish off the older one first but she clenched her fist and got ready to do what she had too.

"_Shinka ichi ni san-no jutsu_," she whispered and ran her hand down her arm. Through the fabric something moving was visible, like snakes running up and down her arm. Unlike using the jutsu of evolution her arm did not burst into another form, this time it stayed the same size but in no way the same power.

The pink haired girl punched a hole right through the trunk of the tree Eri stood on, making her leap away before being crushed. Eri appeared to the side of the tree trunk a breeze picked up and blew her and the pink haired girl's hair about their faces. Eri leaned down and touched the trunk of the tree with the tip of one of the metal claws of her hand. Like ripples in water metallic silver radiated out from the point, until the entire tree including its leaves was solid metal. The pink haired girl gasped.

The leaves of the tree connected by wires, detached and like a maelstrom flew at the girl. She was able to avoid most of them but others sliced into her too quick to heal. Eri saw and flinched when the older woman sent a glare worthy of Itachi-sama's in her direction.

That was a mistake. Again she was distracted and was hit. The blow from the girl's fist had enough force to rip though the fabric of her shirt. And activate her healing method making a metal coating over her organs. But still it knocked the breath out of her sending her back a few feet.

Sasori stared in disbelief as Tsunade broke right through Hiruko's tail, the puppet was no longer becoming safe. Out of the corner of Hiruko's eye he saw Eri get hit in the stomach so forcefully the fabric of the cloak and her shirt right on her stomach. It might have been the metal she used but he could have sworn that he saw something there, there on that beautifully creamy colored skin on that soft stomach he always wanted to bury himself into…

As a fist came down through the haul of Hiruko, Sasori decided that it was time to exit the destroyed puppet. With a last ditch effort he got away from the Hokage and pushed himself out of the shell. He watched as Tsunade gasped. He really hadn't changed in so many years.

Eri stood up and ripped off the rest of her cloak, furious. She didn't like exposing this much skin even if her body was nicely toned and muscled…she had really worked to get it like that. But, no one was supposed to see it, or her body, other than Sasori-danna and now this little pink haired runt blew the entire thing. She gnashed her teeth, these Konoha ninjas wouldn't get away alive. She was happy to see the fear in the green eyed girl as her eyes ran up and down her right arm.

All of it was solid black outlined with silver and the fingers had turned into curled sickle looking knives. Her real arm was thin but muscles were evident beneath her skin and the tight halter top like shirt she wore. Eri smirked and ran her real fingers over her lower stomach that had been exposed. The thin pale line that ran over her skin was now was not the only things there on the exposed flesh.

Engraved in her skin over the scar was a black Suna symbol with the scar going right through it…just like…

"My…headband…" whispered Sasori in amazement. The headband he had abandoned so long ago, now replicated on her body. Tsunade and the pink haired girl both stared and Tsunade took a double take back to Sasori only to see him gazing at the metal armed girl.

Eri growled as the tree began to curl up and twist in odd shapes some drilling into the ground and spiraling into the air. It began infecting everything around it from the trees to the ground, was beginning to be covered in metal. Sasori stared in admiration, the metal wasn't just leaking from the once been tree, no, small red droplets were scattered about everywhere and above them were spider web thin wires, dripping still.

"_She used the wires in the beginning to spread her blood about…so that the metal would have a source…ingenious…"_

Eri smiled and clapped her hands together like she was going to pray, making sure not to slice her own hand open.

"Kinzoku shimo-no jutsu!"

(Metal forest)

Cliffhanger? Maybe…

Sorry if my fight scenes suck. I'm trying honest!!! Yes Eri got a tattoo I love tattoos I want one…I just don't know what I want it to be. Well you know the drill; Blooper, you got one I'll use it! Song suggestion I'll post it. Reviews are nice! I'll mention you in the next chapter if you do!!!! Ugh…anything else…um…hmm…I'm blank. Oh well I'm writing a short NaruSasu if you care to read it. I like my yaoi but I'm not one to write it so if you can stand it check it out when it's up. Thanks so much readers you keep my world turning and my insanity in check! Love you guys!


	10. Running in Your Mind

**Running in your mind**

Chapter 10

-for the Reviewers!

**Rosi-chan- **Sorry about some of the phrasing! I'm not too good with working with so many characters at once. It's kind'a hard! Sorry if I got too wordy as well I like to build up anticipation. Thanks for liking my craptastic fight scenes! And for the bloopers! Heres some cornflakes for you!!!

**Fanxforever- **Thanks so much for liking my fight scenes, though I'm much, much better at drawing them than writing about them. I'm sorry if Eri got too Mary-Sue-ish shakes fist I WON'T DO IT AGAIN!!! I try to make my characters as unique and as human as possible. But you know the fight isn't over and Kakashi is known as the Mirror ninja for a reason and it's not like Eri is already half blind…not like that's a spoiler or anything…

**Otakucraze- **Awww! Thanks for liking Eri so much, again I really try to make her as human and in-character with the rest of the Naruto cast. I can only hope that she would actually fit in there. I'll try to update as fast as I can I promise!!!

**Beyond There- **Hey, cool name I like it. Thanks for the complement! I'll try to update as fast as I can!

**Yume-no-Hotaru- **I'm updating as quick as I can!!!

**Satoru- **I love long reviews and yes I'm hoping the fluff will come back, I hope you like this chapter! Jealousy from Sasori is coming…sometime… thanks so much for liking my humor and stuffs, I try to make my writing fun to read! Thanks!

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

"What's it like danna? To fight for something truly and completely? To give your life for something?" she asked him one lazy afternoon. Sasori stared back at her leaning back in the grass that they had decided to cut.

"You're not making much sense Eri-dono," he replied and picked at the grass beside him, stretching an arm behind his head.

"I guess you've never done that then," she replied staring up into the sky. Soft white clouds drifted overhead. For the first time their eyes met and they both looked away like shy teenagers instead of accomplices to a crime organization.

Eri lay back in the grass her hair spread around her and her hands behind her head. She sighed and closed her eyes, the sun was warm on her skin and the wind through her hair made her smile.

"Sasori-danna?"

"Yes?"

"Cornflakes or Fruitloops?" she asked him nonchalantly.

"What kind of question is that?" he muttered. Eri laughed and shove him to the side.

"Just answer it."

"None of the above," he replied. Eri rolled over onto her stomach and pouted at him. He simply looked over and smirked. He smirked one of those arrogant, "you know I'm adorable" smirks.

Eri threw a handful of grass at him.

Itachi and Kisame looked over from their fight to see the trees and ground turning into a metallic silver.

Their opponents as well watched in terror and amazement as blades of grass turned into deadly spikes and the ground began to lose its grip.

Something was about to happen.

Eri opened her eyes and awoke from her memory. He had never given her a straight forward answer to almost anything she asked. She wondered if his emotions for her ran nearly as deep as hers for him did.

She moved closer to the rest of them, her sandals made a clicking sound due to the spikes she had installed, much like those of an ANBU's. But that wasn't the only thing she had planned.

"The blonde haired boy right? He's the only one I can't kill?" she asked, her voice cold.

Sasori nodded before appearing beside her, "you never cease to amaze me…"

Eri stared up at him and smiled, a warm feeling running up through her stomach. Sasori's eyes softened.

"How much longer do we have to hold them off? I can only keep this up for a few minutes," she told him.

"10 minutes at most," he said, "then we can go."

Eri smiled and took a deep breath. The Konoha ninja tensed. She made the sign of the tiger and the ground shifted before long pikes rose out of the ground. They leaped up around the Konoha nins and began diving after them.

It was all just one big game of cat and mouse. Eri twisted her body to the left the metal shifted in that direction. To the right. She spun and spread her arms the metal disparate into particles again and formed above the ninjas. Raining down in small needles like rain.

Naruto was having difficulty avoiding the deadly rain. The trees all around him sprouted spikes and threatened to impale him whenever he tried to hide under one. It was all about him. This giant metal jungle of death.

Sakura wasn't haven't the difficulty Naruto was because of her ability to punch through the large spikes that came towards her. It was more the exhaustion of keeping up with all of them. Kakashi-sensei hadn't recovered completely from the poison.

Tsunade tugged the half dead body of Hatake Kakashi behind her trying to find a safe place to heal him. She had been able to get most of the poison out of him but now he just needed to wake up. She glanced down at him. His eyes twitched. Was he coming around?

"Tsu…Tsunade…let me down…" he croaked his voice thick with pain.

"Not now Hatake we're in the middle of a fight!" she shouted back to him. A large pike shot at them. She let him fall to the ground and sidestepped the metal then with the palm of her hand broke it into pieces that fell to the slippery ground where the metal and blood made a slick traction-less ground. The metal absorbed into itself. Everything but the blood. Tsunade had realized that the girl had used her own blood to make all of this metal. But someone else's blood wouldn't be absorbed because it didn't have the right stuff. She had found all this out but not yet a way to get rid of all of it.

Kakashi Hatake stood and stumbled a bit. He was gasping for breath. The mission had gone horribly wrong this was not how it should have come out as. Before they only had but one team defending the captive, but now they almost had the full force out and fighting. There had to have been a leak how else would they have known that so many were going to fight?

He watched his blood shine back at him as it dripped down off of his fingertips. He knew the way to defeat them. The way to make that girl's bloodline backfire on her. It was just if he could muster up the chakra to do it. The poison of Sasori's had robbed him of almost all of his power. He was running on empty.

His hand shook as he reached for a kunai. He had watched as when metal objects were dropped all the metal was absorbed and the excess was left.

He had also observed how she fought. It seemed that no matter what she hit or struck it always strayed off from where she was meant to aim. Like what she saw wasn't always there were she saw it. So he concluded, he needed to take what little of she had left away from her.

He held the kunai as firmly as he could in his left hand and let his right hand hang in front of him. The air tensed as he called on his last reserves of chakra. Sparks began to form around his open palm. The slowly collected together until it was simply one big mass of lightning.

Eri didn't exactly see it coming. She was sweating and her eyesight becoming blurry. She didn't know where Sasori had gone. She was only convinced on utterly annihilating the blonde and pink haired females. The mass of chakra was only a speck on her vision.

His feet picked up as much speed as he could gain from the odd surface. His shagarin whirled erratically as he launched himself at the female.

There seemed to be an enormous "bang" as the two clashed. Itachi and Kisame heard it along with Hidan and Kakuzu and of course Pein and Konan when they signaled the sealing done.

The metal from the trees and the ground began to crack and splinter. The pikes stopped their incessant chase in their spot and fell to the ground in large clumps of metal. The ground splintered like glass underneath their feet and everything that hung from the trees came down in one big orchestra of wreckage.

Sasori's eyes were wide and alighted by the dwindling of the Chidori. It's cold blue light reflecting off of his brown orbs. He should have shielded himself from the light but it shook him so much he couldn't.

Kakashi coughed as the clawed hand dug into his gut slicing everything it came in contact with. His right hand was clenched in a death grip over her arm the electric still pulsing around sporadically inside of the metal haul. His left hand still clutching the kunai was getting wet from the blood that dripped down it and into his sleeve.

Sasori felt cold all over. Small trickles of blood ran down her face…

Metal conducts electricity.

He spit out the grass and glared softly at her. She smiled back and leaned over him and began picking out the small green pieces that littered his hair. He stared into her eyes. Those almost pearl white eyes that looked down at him with care.

"Eri-dono…" he whispered softly, his lips tingled with the feel of her name on them. He reached up and touched a soft tress of hair that hung in front of her face. She took his hand in her real one and entwined the fingers. The rough feel of his hands against hers.

He squeezed her hand gently, "I gave my life to art… But I lost the battle."

Her delicate eyebrows pressed together, "What do you mean?"

He smiled, his brown eyes alighting with the creation of art that came in every artists.

"I cannot make something…as lifelike…as beautiful…as powerful…as you."

She stared down at the silver haired man. A dead look in her eyes. The red line beneath her eyes was pulsing with pain, but it was as if she could only feel half of it. Like she was only half there. Her body felt numb. She couldn't move or say anything only let the ground pull her down.

Eri fell backwards onto the ground. Her arm returned to its normal form but where the Copy ninja had touched had a scorched look. It fell limp to her side.

The ground did not hurt like it should have when she hit it. And the blood did not feel warm as it should have. She gazed over lifelessly to where her danna stood.

He ran over to her as the Konoha ninja stumbled away into the arms of his comrades. He lifted her off the ground and into his arms. Her head rested against his shoulder. He didn't pay attention to the stunned looks of the Konoha ninjas. They didn't attack; they knew they were too late.

"I…only…wanted…a…answer…" she whispered as her eyes closed and a tear trickled out of her eye and fell onto his cloak. Over his heart.

Eri blushed and leaned down to touch her fore head to his. Her hair tickled his face and the smell of her filled his lungs.

They said nothing. There was nothing to say. Everything had and hadn't been said. But they were content to just lay there staring at each other. This was all they needed. All they wanted.

"Say with me danna," she whispered and kissed his lips softly.

"ERI! Stay with me! Eri!" he shouted. She didn't wake. He glared at the Konoha ninjas before totally picking up the girl and running, running away. He needed to get someone to heal her.

Now.

Oh am I bad!!! Looky there a cliffy! Mwahahhahahha! Now being serious I hope that it was alright for all of you. Fight scenes ugh. And I hope Eri doesn't look like a MarySue…I mean how many OCs get their face sliced open? So…reviews are nice and I'll mention you!!! BLOOPERS PEOPLE BLOOPERS!!! ONLY HAVE 5 MORE CHAPTERS TILL THE END!!! THE ENDDDDDD!!!

Kuroi Hihane


	11. SEE NO EVIL

**See No Evil**

Chapter 11

-For the Reviewers!!! (Didn't get as many…L is sad…)

**Satoru- **I honestly laughed out loud whenever I read what you said about how I ended the chapter with "Looky there a Cliffy!" It was soo funny to me! Yay! Long review! I get so jazzed when I get them! Thanks for liking the memories and such. I'll try next time to put some kind of symbol in so you know when they start and end. OMG HOW ABOUT THAT SPAZ FOR FLUFF? I promise, **PROMISE** to have some fluff in this chapter. Along with some emotional trauma! Whooo! Thanks for all the complements and not thinking that Eri is an m-s. And it's ok if you can't think up any bloopers it's alright. I honestly smiled the entire time I wrote this.

**Rosi-chan- **Lazy again Rosi-chan…Well thank you for liking how I intertwined the memories and the present. I tried to connect them yet…not…yeah… Thanks for the constructive criticism! And do you want me to upload this to DA? I could.

**FanxForever- **Yes fluffy-icous! I like that word!

**Soundtrack- **(does anyone even use this?) um let's see here… The Fray- _Little House or_ BrandNew- _Failure by Design_

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

His eyes were closed as he meditated. Swimming in his mind back through all the memories and things that had been engraved in the back of his mind. The times with Eri…and the ones without her. Those times…they seemed to fade now. They didn't hurt nearly as bad. They were only reminiscences after all.

He remembered waking up late at night. The sheets beside him cold and untouched. He sat up and walked out to the living room. She lay there sprawled out very un-ladylike sleeping with the remote for the television still in her hand.

He remembered how peaceful she looked as he lay beside her in his bed. Her hair all around her and her soft breathing the only noise. He pulled the dark blue sheets up to cover her and pulled her close, sharing the warmth. Something special that only they shared together.

But now it was anything but that. There was no warmth. No soft breathing. No peacefulness. Only pain…dreadful pain.

They had her on a respirator, she seemed as though she couldn't breathe on her own. He cringed every time he looked up to see the tubes that led down into her lungs, forcing her to breathe. The cut that had crossed over her face had been healed and was all but a soft pearl colored line. But nothing was really healed. Sasori was losing his grip.

He sighed and put his head almost between his knees and clutched his head. How could this have happened? The poison, it was the most powerful he had. Why had he survived it? Why was she the one who had to pay for his slip up? Why?

Kakuzu walked through the door to check her vitals. He said nothing to the withering redhead. His emotionless gaze was the only consolidation that he would give the puppet man.

He made sure her IV was dripping at the right rate and that her blood pressure wasn't bad. So far she had only lost the function of breathing due to the electrocution. Her nerves may heal, he knew, in a few days or they could stay like that forever and she'd just be in coma. He glanced at the ex-Suna shinobi as he left and gave him only a few words.

"It's happened before…you should get used to it," and then he left.

Sasori's brown eyes alit with loneliness and fury stared at where the man had just left. His teeth gnashed and his fingernails cut into his knees. How dare he…

HOW DARE HE!

Sasori groaned as he collapsed to her bedside, staring at her unmoving form. Praying to any God that was listening to let her live. Let her come back. Not to leave him alone anymore.

He was surprised as someone opened the door. He didn't look immediately. No one would dare interrupt him unless it was something very important.

The silver haired man held his rosary in his hand as he walked over to her bed. His face didn't portray any of his emotions as he bowed his head silently. Sasori looked up through his hair to see the priest. Normally he would have told the other man to get the hell out but now…he was just so…weak.

He buried himself into his arms and just sighed. There was nothing else he could do; he couldn't cry, he couldn't do anything.

The priest left shortly without a word. Oddly he left the door open. Sasori just ignored the pair of red eyes that stared in at the two. The black-haired man left quieter than the other.

-------1 month later--------

Sasori walked down the halls of the Akatsuki HQ. He hadn't talked to anyone, not a soul. He rarely left her side. Kakuzu had given him the news that the respirator had been removed and that she could wake up anytime. Since then the redhead had been in and out of the room so much that no one was surprised to see the extra blanket and pillow tucked away behind her bed.

One week ago he had removed the metal arm, all the wires would need replaced because they had been fried in the fight. But non-the-less he was pleased to see that he had a way to give her his gift. The ribbon and all.

No one could really see how anxious he was but they could tell by the way he flitted around her and around the place. Pein had been kind enough to keep him off of missions till she recovered, though his patience was coming to an end.

Then it happened one day while he was in the kitchen and Kisame and Itachi were in the 'living room' a crash was heard then a frantic scream of: SASORI-DANNA!

There was no measurement of speed in existence to gauge how fast Sasori ran back to that room. He had even allowed himself to have a grin as he ripped open the door to her room.

But what greeted him wasn't what he thought he would see.

She sat up eyes wide and frantic. Her hands clutched so tight to the sheets that her knuckles were white. Her bottom lip trembled and she shivered. But she didn't look at him. She didn't look at anyone who came into the room after him. She just stared forward stunned.

"E-Eri-dono…" spoke Sasori testing his voice. She trembled as she turned to him. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. Sasori's eyes widened in terror, utter and complete dread.

Her eyes were a milky white, no longer with the hint of blue they once had.

During the month in coma. Her vision…had left her, rendered her absolutely blind.

Shakily she let go of the sheets she gripped onto so tightly and held them out in front of her face her eyes were on them, but they could tell she couldn't see them.

He walked forward up to her, his footsteps the only think portraying his movement. Gently he took her hand in his. She stared down, unknowingly.

"Sasori-danna?" she whispered, her voice was horse and sounded like it hurt her to speak.

He nodded but realized she wouldn't see it, "yes," came the faint reply. It shocked him how she let go of his hands and buried herself into him.

Itachi looked on, staring as the girl sobbed into the puppet man's abdomen. Clutching onto him as if she were to die. He scoffed. That might be her fate after all. But the more he calculated the more he didn't agree with that. It was clear that Sasori was completely attached to her and that he'd done next to nothing without her as he'd done in the past. And that her bloodline was so unique that Pein might actually go the extra mile to save her sight…or her life. Either way whether she lived or died he didn't really care, as long as if she did live…he'd be the first to make her regret it.

He and Kisame left without another word. There was none they cared to give.

Sasori sat down beside her on the bed holding her close to him, stroking her hair and all around soaking her up. She was back, not without the wounds, but back. He just whispered her name over and over the repetition soothing him.

Slowly she calmed down from her bawling and just whimpered against his shoulder. She knew what had happened. And was so scared. So scared indeed.

"Danna…what…what are they going…to do with me…?" she asked softly dreading what might come of her.

Sasori looked down at her gently, her eyes stared downwards, and he lifted her chin to raise her face.

"They won't do anything but heal you, I promise."

And then he kissed her. Kissed her blindly.

"What the Hell did you just say?" growled Sasori.

Kakuzu cleaned off the counter of his workspace with a rag then turned to the enraged puppet. He stared at him emotionlessly.

"I won't do the surgery Sasori end of story," he said again and turned back to his work.

Sasori, in his rage, knocked over one of the stools full of equipment. The sound clattered about the room about as ragged as the puppet's breathing.

"Why, damn it, not?" he seethed. His temper was becoming overwhelming.

Kakuzu sighed when he saw the mess on the floor. He'd have to re-sterilize it all over again. He turned his attention to the puppet man.

"Sasori get a grip on yourself, your acting like a spoiled child with that girl. You're an S-class criminal not some lovesick teenager. You've done nothing for months don't think I'm going to reward that with giving her sight back to her. You never used to care before. Why care now Sasori no Akasuna?" he shot.

Sasori's fists clenched, "don't act like I never cared…I'm not some heartless monster…" he whispered.

Kakuzu snorted as he walked past him, "You'd be better off if you were."

Sasori whirled around to meet the other man's gaze. His eyes alight.

"You don't know what it's like! You have no idea! Don't act like you have no idea what it's like to lose the only ones in the world that actually gave a damn about you. Don't you dare say that she's replaceable because…" Sasori used one of the blades in his arms to hold up to Kakuzu's neck, "No one could ever replace her. EVER!"

Kakuzu pushed away the blade as if he didn't care. "I won't do it Sasori." And with that he left.

Sasori put the blade away and left. But not before completely demolishing the room that had been so clean.

Eri sat patiently in her room awaiting her danna's return. She relied on him for every thing now. She smiled at the thought of how flustered he sounded when she asked him to help her dress. He was always asking if she were ok, if she needed anything. Like a nanny. That's how he acted.

She giggled to herself as a picture of Sasori in a maid outfit popped into her head. She fell back onto her pillow and laughed out loud as the puppet came through the door.

Her smiles and laughter quickly left as he said nothing, but she could hear his ragged breath peeling out of him in an angry manner.

"Sasori-danna?" she whispered meekly. She hoped that a reaction from him like this would not happen, but her wishes and prayers seemed to go unanswered.

He said nothing as he cupped her face in his hands, his fingers cold and rough. He traced over her eyes, her nose, her lips, he brushed against her hairline and to her jaw and ears. All of it he could see, but nothing…nothing at all could she.

Would she forever be damned to never set eyes on what she was and what she could become? Was she just to be thrown out into the streets to fight for herself? Was there nothing in the world he could do to repay for all the sins he'd committed. What battle must he fight? What cross must he bear?

"Danna…" she whispered in a questioning manner. She had her right to know what in the world brought on such an intimate behavior now that she was blind when before, when she had been able to see, she was completely open to it, and ready for it. It was odd to say the least as he fanned over her without any words.

He said nothing and continued to stroke ever piece of skin he could. From her arms to her legs, everything he touched made him more and more furious. They were bent on taking her away were they not? He grit his teeth. No one had taken anything before from Sasori-no-Akasuna, and sure as Hell they weren't now.

He didn't care who'd he have to kill, but she would see again.

He would make sure of it.

He wouldn't lose again to an enemy he couldn't fight.

This chapter royally sucked…end of story…

Ok I'm really sorry I didn't update this earlier it's just that it sat on my computer for sometime unfinished cause I'm soooo obsessed with DeathNote now… I'm not sure yet my dear fans if I'll be posting any fanfiction under that category but if I do I'll be sure to let you know! So you know reviews are nice and of course I'll mention you, bloopers are welcome!!

Kuroi Hihane (currently wondering whether to cosplay as L or Mello…)


	12. Falling Out

**Falling Out**

Chapter 12

-For the Reviewers!!!!

**Bakasaru2- **Thanks for liking Eri! I'll update as soon as I can!

**Satoru- **I'm glad you like my jokes! (Not that good at them) I'm glad that you think this entire story is really good, means a lot to me! I'll give you more of what you want soon! I promise. Yes I can be very cruel to my Oc, you're lucky; I have a large tendency to kill off my characters. Yes, plain kill them off. Usually bloody too…don't know why. Eri is not dieing thought, she's one of the lucky ones…Thank you again for liking my story so much, and my art!

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

Eri's face was alit with red like a little school girl as she was being utterly and completely…

"HIDANN!!!!!" shouted Sasori the vibrations his feet almost made the entire HQ shake beneath his fury. He seethed as he ripped Hidan's hand away from Eri's and punched him in the face and kicked him off the couch.

"Sasori-danna! He wasn't doing anything!" complained Eri who stared up blindly to where she assumed her danna stood. From the floor Hidan agreed with a moan of pain. Sasori kicked him again.

Sasori still growling under his breath plopped himself down beside her on the worn out sofa and handed her a warm bowl of instant ramen, on of only a few things that he could remember how to make.

"Oh don't give me that, you know what he was thinking. Now _eat_," he said and shoved a mouthful of ramen noodles into her gaping lips.

With a snort Eri felt around till she could find the chopsticks and began to eat with a little difficulty but of course Sasori sat there telling her when she didn't scoop up any noodles.

"Damn it Sasori! I wasn't doing anything! You can't tell her who she can talk to," shouted Hidan.

Sasori gave him an irritated bored look, "Next time she wants to get some kind of life threatening sexual dieses I'll be sure to call you up."

Hidan's face contorted with rage. "I DON'T HAVE STD'S!"

And that's how the following 3 weeks had gone. With shouting and name-calling and arguments, much like a kindergarten class in the summertime heat.

"Danna?" whispered Eri softly, the body beside her shifted and a pair of deep russet eyes stared up at her, "can we go home soon?"

Sasori sat up and pulled her face to vaguely look at him. He studied her features, her dull pearl eyes, faint blonde hair, pale fair skin and her soft pink lips. He stared at her for some time.

"Not until you can see again," he whispered and kissed her forehead tenderly. She leaned in against him letting him feel secure with her arms about his waist. But he always dreaded what she said after that sentence.

"But danna, I won't see again."

Kakuzu was completely and utterly infuriated. The Rinnegan eyes of Pein stared down at him with an aloof powerful aura of dominance.

"For the last time no," he growled to the pierced man. Pein's eye twitched.

"I don't recall asking you if you **wanted** to do it I simply told you that you **would**," replied the icy voice of the Akatsuki's founder. Kakuzu shivered.

"What's the point, their both too weak for their own good? The only thing she's good for now is a scapegoat for Hidan and Itachi's _tension_," argued the masked man.

He gulped as the man leaned in to get right in the other man's face. His eyes flashed and Kakuzu was beginning to sweat in fear.

"Let me share some interesting information with you Kakuzu…" began the man, "She just may be…" the rest of the conversation was just a muddle of noises and a gasp from the stitched man.

"No way that happened years ago, even I had seen that happen. There is no possible link whatsoever!" shot Kakuzu to the smirking rain ninja.

"Oh but Kakuzu there is, she has the blood to back it up," said the leader with a sly grin. And another flash of ringed eyes. "You will heal her eyes."

Kakuzu just nodded. He wasn't as amazed as he let on but still what the leader had informed him of. It wasn't necessarily impossible, but the percentage that it could be was a staggering low.

He found Sasori washing dishes in the kitchen, yes washing dishes. He coughed to get the man's attention to which he was given the full force of the deep brown eyes of the puppet man.

"I'm healing her eyes, where is she?" he asked in one long breath before the red head could pounce on him. Sasori's eyes widened, his mouth opened then closed.

"She's in my room," he said and walked back the hallway followed by the stitched man. Sasori glanced about precautious; it was odd that he had changed his mind so quickly after such a long time. He was suspicious of what he was really aiming towards.

Before Sasori opened the door he turned and addressed the man behind him in whispers. His eyes watching the man's face to see any change in emotions.

"Why the sudden change in plans?" he asked.

"Orders," he said gruffly.

"From leader?" asked Sasori.

"Who else?" he growled back, "Now am I going to check out her eyes or not?"

Sasori glared but opened the door. Eri sat inside listening to music, at the sound of the door opening she turned it off and looked up at the two men.

"Sasori-danna?" she asked softly. Her eyes paler than before. Sasori sighed regardless if the stitched man was there, she always calmed him down. The look of the innocence that he could never have, the pure essence of it all.

"Kakuzu too, he's going to look at you eyes so that…he'll know how to fix them," Sasori choked out. Eri's eyes widened and her mouth opened.

"Are you FREAK'N SERIOUS???" she shouted blowing Kakuzu and Sasori away. She leaped up and strolled as graceful as she could towards them and grabbed both of them in a hug totally squishing them against her. Kakuzu and Sasori looked at each other as she let out a squeal of joy.

After a couple minutes of shouts of joy and obviously annoyance when Eri hugged Kakuzu and kissed him on the top of the head, the stitched man just stayed quiet, he was able to begin inspecting her eyes.

A little penlight was shined deep into her eyes, but Eri didn't see anything. Kakuzu chewed his lip in frustration.

"Nothing, nothing at all?" he asked.

"Nope," she replied. He returned the light to his pocket. And took another look into her cream white eyes. Sasori snorted in disgust as the man's tan hands cupped her face turning it this way and that. He grumbled to himself but didn't interrupt the medic nin.

"Well it's a full cataract, so you'll need surgery to fix it," he told her and Sasori. They both nodded, "give me a week to get ready and I'll do it on Saturday."

After the man left Eri flopped back down into the small couch smiling all the way. Sasori looked over at her from the door, his eyes soft and calmer than what they had been.

"Sasori-danna…you can relax now," she said her voice drifting up to him. He gave a faint smile.

"I am calm I don't know what you're talking about," he replied and watched her face turn skeptical. She snorted and relaxed onto her back staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"What was he like danna?" she suddenly asked as Sasori sat down on the side of his bed. His head perked up at her question.

"Who are you talking about?" he asked.

"Your ex-partner, what was he like?" she asked.

Sasori sighed, he had almost forgotten everything from his past, but it was then that it all came rushing back to him regardless if he wanted them too or not. His chest ached.

"He was special to you," she stated and traced circles on the fabric of the sofa. She closed her eyes and spoke again, "you don't talk about him, no one does. Why?"

"People don't like to remember what happens in their past," he replied. Her eyes opened slightly then closed again and her arm fell lifeless to her side.

"You're right," she agreed and didn't ask anymore questions.

Saturday rolled around and Eri was awakened by someone's warm hands shaking her, they weren't like Sasori-dannas'.

"Who is it?" she asked sitting up. Hot breath at her neck and the hands resting on her stomach.

"You need to get up now," came the soft voice of Itachi Uchiha. She shivered and nodded.

"Where is Sasori-danna?" she asked before she budged from her bed. Sasori-danna didn't trust him, and although Eri didn't know why she wasn't about to take chances.

"Waiting outside," he said, removing his hands from her form, "I'll be going then."

Eri made sure she heard the door close and his footsteps outside until she got out of the bed and felt around for the dresser. She dressed and walked out into the hallway. She felt Sasori take her hand and squeeze it tight. He didn't say anything though.

"Danna…" she murmured her voice begging him for some consolidation. Silently he guided her along the hallway and into the surgery room. There Kakuzu prepped her and inserted her IV. Sasori stayed silently by her side. This should have been a happy thing, but…everyone was tense and it seemed as though she were going on a suicidal mission instead of getting vision retaining surgery.

Kakuzu put a mask over her nose and mouth and told her to breathe deeply. A cold sweat broke out over her body.

"Sasori-danna!" she shouted to him as her mind became clouded. She tried to shout again and reached out for him but her hand fell lifelessly down against the mattress.

Sasori gripped the doorframe as if he was to fall into Hell itself if he didn't. His eyes were screwed shut, he couldn't bear to see the surgery, couldn't bear to see her seduced under those drugs and taken apart like that. Her voice was pain enough to hear.

The words of the Uchiha bounce around in his skull like bowling balls, tearing down every bit of what he wanted to believe. The truth, the horrible truth that was crashing down on him.

_If she regains her sight, she will be forced to fight again._

The wood of the doorframe began to splinter by his hands pressure. He forced himself back against the wall; his breathing was thick and harsh, his lungs screaming. The cool drafts of the place gave him no comfort in the strangling hold his mind had reduced him too.

_You might live forever, she will not. She will be condemned to death._

He sunk to the ground, his knees ringing with the sudden impact. He clutched his head and gnashed his teeth together. This was all wrong!

_Her death will be on your shoulders, she will be only a tool to the rest of us._

He stared up at the ceiling into the florescent lights his retinas burning with the pain of tears that could not be shed. Of a heart that could not beat. For a love that should not have been.

"What have I done?"

I'm SOO SORRY ABOUT THE TERRIBLE WAIT. I planned this to be over by Christmas but…that didn't come true. Sorry! Hope you liked it. I really like reviews!

Kuroi Hihane


	13. Neko Neko

**Neko Neko**

Chapter 13

-For the Reviewers!!

**Satoru- **I'm sorry! SO SORRY! sobbs Satoru-chan is angry… But anyway I'm glad that I could knock you speechless, yay, speechless. Yes Itachi let it slip…**this** time… I'll update as soon as I can I promise you! There's to be a lot in this chapter!

**Rosi-chan-** Happeh Birthday! Whoo! I'm so happy you liked it so much! Took me a while and I'm glad to say that I was pretty much happy with that chapter. More boring-day-to-day life stuff? You got it! As for my "Secret-squirrel" plan, it shall be revealed in this chapter! Till then my fangirl!

**Emolollipop- **Thanks for the PM! I'm so glad that I could entertain you're short attention span, I take it I'm doing a good job? Yay! Again thanks so much!

**Bakasaru2- **Aww don't cry! Thanks for the review! How could you not like Sasori more? Ha ha ha.

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

Her head was throbbing, her throat dry and her IV itchy. She wanted to turn her head to the side but it hurt too much. She couldn't hear much either just the dripping of the liquid in the IV and the beeping of the heart monitor machine. She choked back a sob at the absence of the soft hum of her Danna's breathing.

Her eyes burned at the feeling of tears rushing into them, she went to wipe them away and felt bandages. Her fingers trailed over them as the door opened and closed. Her hands were pulled away from her face and soft lips pressed against hers.

Eri snorted and let her chopsticks fall to her plate with a clatter. Sasori looked in from the kitchen, a soapy dish and a stained white apron. He bit his lip and stared at her for a second.

"Sasori-danna…where did you learn to cook?" she asked her eyebrows pinching beneath her bandages. He gulped.

"I just did as they said on the box…" he said in return.

"Ever think of _cooking_ the vegetables?" she growled.

Sasori no Akasuna was a ninja, not a cook, not a stay at home dad, a effin ninja he shouldn't have to worry about weather or not you cook the vegetables in a dish of food or not, he should have been worrying about whether or not to burn, lacerate, or poison his enemies.

But no…he was here in his little house with an apron on, a freak'n **apron**, doing dishes and trying to please his darling's hunger. Yes that's right, darling's.

Eri picked around her frozen veggies and ate the rest of her meal with a little distaste. She knew that her danna was doing his best but…come on that was just plain stupid. She sat her plate down and crossed her arms over her chest; her manservant took the dish and washed it as well.

Once he was done with the dishes he took off the dreaded apron and sat down with a huff beside his darling. She sighed and rested her feet on top of his legs and felt around for the remote for the TV.

He sighed, now he was in for another boring four-hour marathon of some crappy soap opera that she would have him describe for her so she knew what was going on.

This would be a long day.

Her heart pounded in her chest, anticipation ate away at her making her hands shake and her throat dry. His hands found the knot at the back of her head his breathing thick against her face as he concentrated.

"Come on it's not that tight," she complained.

"Yes it is, just give me some time," he replied.

"Ouch you're pulling too tight!" she shouted.

Sasori rolled his eyes and simply ripped apart the knot that held the bandages together. Eri gently pulled them down away from her eyes. She kept her eyes closed until she knew all of the bandages were gone.

Sasori swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat. What if the surgery didn't work, what if she could never see again…

Slowly her eyelids lifted to reveal…

A pair of the greenest eyes he had ever seen. She stared up at him amazed. They were both speechless.

"Eww since when were you so ugly," she joked.

"Since when did you have green eyes?" he asked utterly shocked. All this time he'd dwelled over the fact that she had the same features of his ex partner. Sweated and practically cried of the similarities and here, one of the simplest things…she didn't have blue eyes.

They were green. He wanted to smash his head of the ground.

Eri reached forward and touched his face gingerly running a finger down his cheek to his lips. She moved with the pulling of his hands on her back, staring into the auburn orbs of her danna.

Unable to handle it any longer, Sasori grabbed her and pulled her to him. She giggled like a schoolgirl as he ran his fingers through her hair and let his lips trail down over her neck. She stared down at him with the brightest emerald eyes he'd ever seen.

Three very interesting days later Eri sat flipping through the channels of their TV, not really caring about what popped up on the screen. She was too entranced with the work of her new arm.

It was crafted from some kind of wood that didn't dent easily at all and it worked completely silent. She smiled down at it. Sasori had explained how it worked and such a day ago. He couldn't have wiped the red from his face if he tried.

But now he told her to stay home that he was going out to get something. Secretly she wished it was for cooking skills but she'd take what she could get.

It was raining again when Sasori came back. He wasn't in Hiruko but was hidden beneath his Akatsuki cloak. He walked funny as he took of his dripping hat and came over into the living room. Eri looked up at him perplexed.

"You…you said you couldn't have kids…you know…" he began and he shifted oddly in his cloak, "so I just thought that maybe…"

A plop was heard as something fell out of the bottom of his cloak. Sasori looked completely embarrassed and chewed his lip like a little girl.

"His name is Mop-chan," he said.

Eri's green eyes traveled down his form to rest on the ground.

Meeerroooowww!

"Oh my…" she cooed. The big yellow eyes of the kitten stared up at her with the cutest little kitty affect he could muster.

Eri snatched him up off the ground and held him against her bosom and began squealing. Sasori took of his cloak to reveal muddy kitty prints all over himself.

"Well…while you two bond…I'm going to clean up," he whispered his face still burning.

"Oh thank you, thank you, Sasori-danna!" she called to his retreating form. The little kitten clung to her like it would to its mother. She looked down at the little orange kitten and kissed him on the nose. He began purring and nuzzled her affectionately.

It was simply love at first sight.

"WHERE IS THAT LITTLE BASTARD?" roared Sasori as he stomped down the hall of the little house he and Eri shared.

Eri stared up from her crossword puzzle along with the little kitten named Mop-chan.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he fumed.

"That little…furball…pissed all over my stuff!" he shouted pointing at the kitten on her lap.

Eri looked down at the little cat; he looked up at her, the kitten eyes kicking in.

"If you close your door he can't get in, I bet he couldn't find his litter box that's all. It's not like he meant to do it, right Moppy-chan?" she squealed and her and the kitten cuddled yet again.

Sasori wanted to bash his head off the wall. It was the fifth time this week that he had to scrub down all of his stuff. And he knew enough to know that the little flea bag knew exactly where his litter box was. It just simply hated him, and let him know it by the smell that radiated out of his neat room and the claw marks on his beloved wooden puppets. Poor Hiruko had never looked so upset.

He gathered the cleaning things from the hallway closet, and stomped back into his room in a huff. Mop-chan curled up again against Eri's bosom, his favorite place, and gave a little kitty grin as he heard the man cuss in the other room. Life was good.

I hate this chapter, flat out hate. Took me forever and it still sucks…sorry my beloved and exquisite fans!! sobs I tried but I've been so worked up lately. My nee-chan finally found her first boyfriend, who happens to be best friends with the guy I like and oh lets not just throw in the fact that HE KNOWS IT! Argh. I promise to make the next chapter better!

Kuroi Hihane


	14. The Coming

**The Coming…**

Chapter 14

-For the Reviewers!

**SomeOtherPerson-** yeah my folks had one too and it hated my little brother. Peed all through his crib as a baby. It had to be put down…Thanks for the review!

**Satoru-** I'M SO SORRY THAT LAST CHAPTER SUCKED!! I really am I didn't want to post it but I didn't want to keep you waiting forever!! Aw, man I really hope this chapter is wayyyyy better!

**Rosi-chan-** Thank you for all of the nice comments. Sorry my secret squirrel plan didn't come out as well as I wanted it too…it just died!! sobs Maybe Sasori was crushing on Dei-Dei but he's so confused with even little feelings I'm not really sure he would have noticed. Ah yes apron…I love seeing guys in those…mwhahahahha!

**Sasukenejisfirewolfgrl12**- Thanks for liking the chapter. That suggestion sounds like a funny blooper! Thanks!

**Lyn-** Well thank you for liking it so much, it's just the quality wasn't as good as the usual chapter. I'm really going to make up for it in this one though. Thanks so much!

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters. I don't own the song _Crashed_ by Daughtry either.

Please enjoy my works.

As usual in the hideout, after or before a mission, someone was in a training room working on their dexterities. Itachi was one of these people who was a regular at the old training room in the east wing, it was seldom used because their intense skills (Hidan induced fire damage) had damaged it, but regardless he liked that room.

He was curious to what the silver haired man was doing peeking though the back door of his beloved training room. There was clearly someone in there, because the old stereo was on, but anyway Hidan was crouched looking in chuckling every so often.

"What are you doing?" asked the Uchiha, the Jashin worshiper jumped and spun around quickly.

"I…oh…it's you…" he exhaled and clearly relaxed not to have been caught by someone else.

"Who are you observing?" the Uchiha specified.

Hidan grinned, "Don't act like you don't know Sasori's little 'buddy'. Man the way she moves."

"What in the world are you talking about?" asked Itachi, his eyebrows high in optimism.

"Look," said Hidan pointing to the ajar door, "She's training/dancing, man, it's so hot." Intrigued, Itachi leaned down to look into the space provided.

True to his words, Eri was dancing to the music playing and it did, he'd comply, look just a bit kinky. Not that he would ever say so aloud. Rising up to meet Hidan's eyes said man grinned even more. Composing one's self was a rule of thumb to the Uchiha and even now, after slaughtering his clan, torturing his little brother, and becoming the self proclaimed sexiest at the Akatsuki, Itachi would never allow anyone to think that he'd succumb to watching one of the lethal females train, regardless if it _totally_ turned him on.

"Whatever," he said sounding uninterested. Itachi turned to walk away as Hidan grabbed his shoulder and began whispering in his ear before he could issue a death threat.

"Oh don't act like you don't want her. She's a criminal with those innocent eyes, just don't tell me that you, Itachi Uchiha, don't like the way she swings those hips and the way her chest bobs when the beat of the music picks up. The way she tosses her hair. You just can't tell me you don't want that."

Hidan smirked and watched Itachi shiver as visions of her invaded his mind. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

…so the two men shared looking through the door at her.

Hidan laughed softly, droll forming at the corners of his mouth and his eyes glazed with lust. Itachi on the other hand held a delicate finger to his nose and pulled his cloak loosely around him as to hide the throbbing bulge forming in his pants. He wasn't one to get flustered or anything or the sort, but she totally crossed his line. No one, in his book, but Eri could pull off the tight tank and loose fitting sweatpants; no one did it like her.

Both ninja fell deadly silent as the old door on the other side creaked open. A familiar red-head peaked his head in. At the sight of him, Eri turned off her music and grabbed a towel to wipe herself down. Sasori stepped into the room, picking up her discarded cloak and draping it over her shoulders. Pein filtered in after him but stayed motionless as he watched the two. Ringed eyes studying the pair like a hawk studying mice in a hayfield.

Sasori was stone faced as usual but his emotionless gaze drifting in and out of that and a soft almost indistinguishable worry that would strike over his taupe eyes only to be lost when he turned his attention to the feared Ame-nin. They all, hidden or not, could tell something was going down.

Eri, slightly flushed from training, bowed deeply to the leader, Sasori mimicked and from a certain angle you could see his hand resting on her lower back, but was kept hidden from the Rinnegan user.

The leader bowed in return; oddly he opened an inverted palm to her, beckoning her to take it in a gentleman like bow. Glancing to the side at the Puppet-master, she took the warm stiff hand of the orange haired man.

Swiftly he pulled her to the middle of the training floor. The old battered stereo crackled to life with a calm melodically tune as Pein took up the stance of ballroom dancing. Eri looked puzzled but complied, allowing her discomfort to slide away as his hand touched her waist.

Gently they moved around the floor. Following the steps and rhythm of the song. Eri stared into the eyes of the powerful ninja, amazed at the swirling of colors in his irises. Discomfort kept her from totally melting into his arms was probably the fact that his arms were stiff and controlling, not soft yet firm like her Danna's.

Her feet felt like mist, fading in and out with the swishing of the cloak and the tapping movements of her trained feet. But his steps were not the graceful of a dancer; they were to lithe and quiet, stealth leaked out of him, not beauty. She blushed as he blinked slowly, his shoulders relaxing and his dark lashes catching the light making them seem dappled from a quick warm spring rain.

The tinkling music stopped, Pein bowed, Eri curtsied. She knew not why the ninja had wanted to dance, let alone with her or the fact why Sasori was there to witness it all. The only thing she knew of was that she longed for Sasori's arms more than Pein's odd stiff ones.

Sasori came to her side silently and handed a bottle of water to her. She took it gratefully and tried to ignore the weird gazes both men sent her.

"I assume from what you told me, that you have a reason for coming here?" asked Sasori sending the leader an un-amused glare at the act of touching his woman.

Pein nodded but did not look at the fuming redhead. His eyes were still fixed to Eri's sweating form. His ringed irises studying her form, looking, scouting for something.

He spoke without any warning, an explanation that caught Eri and Sasori off guard.

"You know absolutely nothing of you're past, do you Eri-san?" he asked, his voice empty yet leery.

Swallowing a gulp of water she shuffled her feet. Her fingers tightened about the plastic bottle, making it crackle under stress.

"If you mean of my parents, you are correct," she said. Her gaze stayed glued to the cap of the bottle as if it was the only anchor to her sanity. Sasori could only look on, feeling useless to her internal suffering, realizing that he could murder a thousand enemy ninjas but he could never shield her from her scars.

The ringed eyes glanced about the room as if watching for some sort of signal. The odd eyes settled surprisingly on the puppet master instead of the girl. They stared at him deeply.

"It was many years ago that the Sandaime Kazekage ruled, correct Sasori-san?" he said watching the man's face for the slightest change in emotion. All knowing that he'd been expressing more and more of that these days.

"Yes…what does that have to do with me or Eri for that matter?" he shot.

Ringed eyes returned to Eri's bright green ones that stared up into the powerful halos full of wonder and curiosity, more innocent than ever.

"The Kazekage had a wife by the name of Nayori whom had a son and a daughter, named Hikiju and Kohime. Hikiju was killed at the age of 23 by a rouge ninja and Kohime was killed when her house was burnt to the ground. The only persons to survive were four maids…and a young girl who was sold by the eldest of the maids into slavery at the age of two years. It was kept a secret from the people of Suna that the Sandaime had children let alone grandchildren, her name was never released," he finished.

Sasori's eyes were wide. He didn't think that I would ever come to it. He never suspected that the fair line of "could be" s could be actually true.

For once the fearsome eyes were turned away from the two ninja's forms and settled into the space beside them.

"It is easy to recount history, it is not easy however to re-write it. I can tell you something today that might or might not affect you for the rest of your life. However…I do not have to tell you, if you don't want me too," he said his eyes turning back to Eri directly.

The plastic bottle that had been in her hands was shoved roughly into Sasori's as Eri walked right up to Pein's face and right out stared him down.

"I'm not some child; I don't need to be chided with silly things. Just spit out what you know," she commanded without an ounce of fear.

Pein stared down at her unaffected; years of living with a PMSing Konan had prepared him for the swinging notion of female emotions. Inside him, the non-shinobi part was slightly cringing at the sight of her gleaming emerald eyes.

"I have reason to believe that you hold onto an extremely rare kekkei genkai, that the Sandaime Kazekage had. Thus making you…the granddaughter of the late Kazekage, daughter of Kohime. Her facial features are almost exactly the same as yours and in your fathers line blindness is common. It was all just putting the pieces of the puzzle together," he said, there was no admiration or anything in his voice, "I believe Sasori had the same idea, just no information to back it up."

Eri took the information in slowly, then she turned, her green eyes staring wide into those of the ex-Suna ninja. She didn't look sad, or mad, or anything, she just looked…shocked.

"Danna…you…knew?" she asked, her voice quaking and shivering with disbelief. Sasori's lips pursed into a thin hard line as he stared at the leader loathingly.

"I didn't know for sure, Eri-dono. As the leader said, I only had my inferences, no leads or information to help the theory along," he explained walking up to her side. She nodded and stared down at her hands.

"My blood…it's…Suna?" she asked looking up at Pein with her wide innocent eyes. He nodded. Sasori touched her shoulder tenderly but she pulled away from him and gathered her things.

"Thank you for the information, Pein-sama," she said and left the room quickly. Only the Suna and Ame ninjas were left.

Sasori's eyes came to look at Pein, "how in the world did you figure that all out? Who in the world actually could place her as the granddaughter?"

The ringed eyes stared down at him, "the very one who gave her, her sight back. Kakuzu compared some blood samples to an old record of bloodlines that I acquired from a mist village many years ago. She matched up completely. Whether or not she really is the descendent of the Sandaime is quiet likely, due to her and Kohime's appearances and her genetic blindness."

Sasori nodded, "I would have rather you had me tell her."

"Emotions are not something a shinobi is supposed to have Sasori-kun," replied the leader as he too disappeared out the door leaving Sasori to fume behind him.

"Sasori-danna just…SHUT UP!" she shouted as Sasori tried to open his mouth.

"Eri-dono please let me explain…" he said as she hung up her cloak, she wasn't mad she just hated when the red haired man tried to apologize.

She walked into the kitchen with him on her tail and got herself a glass of water. She just wanted him to give her sometime to think.

"Eri…" he muttered, his eyes were overwhelmed with self loathing, she was upset with him and there was nothing he could do about it if she didn't let him talk. Part of him just wanted to grab a hold of her and close her mouth with his own so she could never leave, and the other wanted to just break something.

She looked up at him from her place at the table, the glass sat farther way from her than normal. She pushed it with her fingers closer to him, beckoning him with her eyes.

He awkwardly sat down across from her, he took a sip from the glass and it hit him how thirst he was and downed the whole glass before he could really think about what he was doing. Eri smiled as the empty glass made a clink of a noise when he set it back down.

"Eri please-," but he didn't get another word out before her soft finger closed his lips. He looked down shocked as she leaned over the table and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. Blood flushed to his face, he was not made for these kind of situations when he wasn't the one in control.

"Sasori-danna, there is nothing wrong with me. I'm not mad at you or anyone else, stop trying to apologize for something you didn't do," she told him removing her finger and resting her chin on her hands and her elbows on the table.

"I killed…no…_MURDERED_ your grandfather!" he said like that explained it all, his eyes blazing. He didn't understand, yes, Eri wasn't the most sensitive of all the women he met, but weren't they supposed to at least tear up? Eri only simply looked up at him with her emerald eyes.

"Sasori-danna…I never knew those people…" she said and ran her finger around the rim of the empty glass, "What's the point of even knowing…I was just shocked that someone like…the Kazekage…was my grandfather."

Sasori was about to burst into a billion itty bitty pieces, "Eri!" He was so upset, why? He expected some kind of emotion out of her; she was just so…indifferent. And he couldn't stand it.

The glass shattered as he knocked it off the table when he grabbed her shoulders. Emotions bubbling up inside of him that he didn't understand began overflowing. **He** had been the same way, but it had never affected him like she did.

Her wide eyes stared into his, surprised. His hands gripped onto her shoulders tightly and his eyes flashed dangerously. She swallowed; her danna was defiantly having a conniption.

"Eri…why isn't this affecting you? Where are your emotions?" he demanded. Eri's eyes closed slightly as she reasoned why he was acting so oddly.

"So that what this is all about. You think that I should be distressed?" she asked.

"Yes, at least something," he seethed.

"Well too bad, I know it sounds morbid, but how am I supposed to cry for someone I never even knew?" she asked him, her own fiery inside turning her eyes into sparkling jewels.

Sasori threw himself angrily into the back of his chair almost toppling it over in his frustration. Eri just gave a sly smile. She'd won the battle this time round, but Sasori always had a way of getting back at her.

Sasori walked absentmindedly passed the bathroom, not really minding where he was looking. The light from the ajar door caught his eye and at once he found himself staring in at his house-mate. His breath was siphoned from his lungs and his legs felt like rubber and he nearly fell forward.

_Well I was moving at the speed of sound.  
Head-spinning, couldn't find my way around, and  
Didn't know that I was going down.  
Yeah, yeah.  
_

She had turned off the lights and used only some candles she had dug out of somewhere to light the room. Instead of the usual shower she was reclined into the bathtub, bubbles hiding most of her body from view. His heart pounded hollowly in his chest unlike it had ever before. He'd never had this like of trauma hit him and he didn't understand it. Just the sight of her…it just…blew him away…

_Where I've been, well it's all a blur.  
What I was looking for, I'm not sure.  
Too late and didn't see it coming.  
Yeah, yeah._

Something pulled at him, ached inside of him, inner demons raging in his mind. He shook visibly compared to her calm, relaxed composure. Dark lashes laying against her pale skin, droplets of water that clung in her lose hair caught the light of the flickering candles causing her to look angelic with a halo of glowing beads framing her face.

_And then I crashed into you,  
And I went up in flames.  
Could've been the death of me,  
But then you breathed your breath in me.  
And I crashed into you,  
Like a runaway train.  
You will consume me,   
But I can't walk away.__  
_

Eyes like the sea opened and looked at him. He lost his ability to stand and sunk to the ground, groping at the door frame to keep from falling flat on his stunned face. Then it all came together, the reason for everything just flooded into him like the blood rushing and pounding in his ears. He had found what he was looking for.

_Somehow, I couldn't stop myself.  
I just wanted to know how it felt.  
Too strong, I couldn't hold on.  
Yeah, yeah._

"Sasori-danna…"

_Now I'm just tryin' to make some sense  
Out of how and why this happened.  
Where we're heading, there's just no knowing.  
Yeah, yeah.__  
_

"Eri…I…"

_And then I crashed into you,  
And I went up in flames.  
Could've been the death of me,  
But then you breathed your breath in me.  
And I crashed into you,  
Like a runaway train.  
You will consume me,  
But I can't walk away.  
_

"I know…its ok."

And everything was. Everything was. There was no need for anything, he realized. His life…it was complete. Nothing else was needed or mattered. The look of her perfect body sitting up through the water and soap bubbles was enough to make him tremble like a child. Her lips parted with a soft smile, water that was caught on her body sparkled marvelously.

_From your face, your eyes  
Are burning to me.  
You saved me; you gave me  
Just what I need.  
Oh, just what I need._

She gave him everything he needed. That was the truth and the only truth that he'd never seen before. It was the essence that flooded his body with need and want of her and her safety. The tender touches he almost took for granted, her kind words, soft smiles. All of that no one ever saw, that's all he ever really needed. Not power, not immortality…just her.

_And then I crashed into you,  
And I went up in flames.  
Could've been the death of me,  
But then you breathed your breath in me.  
And I crashed into you,  
Like a runaway train.  
You will consume me,  
But I can't walk away.  
_

_And then I crashed into you,  
And then I crashed into you,  
And then I crashed into you,  
And then I crashed into you,  
And I crashed into you,  
Like a runaway train.  
You will consume me,  
But I can't walk away_

I'm sorry but…there is nothing I can say about this chapter. I pray that you feel the same way that I do, feel the same tears that blur my vision. There is only one last chapter. And as for the title…do you know what is coming?

With the bloopers; you can ask questions for the cast of Parts & Pieces to answer. You can pick anyone to ask any question to and I will have them answer it!

Kuroi Hihane


	15. Parts and Pieces

Parts and Pieces

**Parts and Pieces**

Chapter 15

**KH** this is the last chapter, whether or not the bloopers or anything else is posted is just a matter of fate. I tip my hat to you all that read this and hope that you can take at least something from these long rather pathetic texts and use it to aid it in this race that we call life. After all isn't that part of the reason that we write? Regardless, I thank you, and if this ending does not fall suite to one you believe should have happend, all I have to say is; tell me about it.

Thank you for allowing me to waste your time and braincells to show you a glimpse of what savage and cruel beasts lurk in paper, minds, and even in the world that we live so tangibly in. I do not believe that I can truely thank any of you enough so please let my writing and artistic creations in the future be the key.

Till we meet again. _Adieu_. Kuroi Hihane 6/11/08

-For the Reviewers!

**Squirrelluver2-** Aww thanks so much for your nice words! I pray that you've enjoyed the entire story.

**Rosi-chan-** I wish it didn't really have to end but all good things must come to an end. Thanks again for all of the great comments, I've really improved over the time I first started writing this and a lot of that goes to you! It probably never would have gotten done without you!

**Satoru-** I hope you're high expectations are sated in this chapter. My next project, if you want to check it out, will be a DeathNote Fanfic called _About Time_, which will be a MattxOc. I am also thinking of doing an LxOc called _Our Childish Ways_ as well so keep you're eyes open! Many, many thanks to you as well, and get well soon!

**Rikku Madara Uchiha-** Thank you so much for all of your comments, I really appreciate them so much! And that excerpt from that MCR song made me realize exactly how this chapter would end, thanks so much! I really hope you enjoy it!

The only song that could ever match this would be _We Are Broken_ by Paramore.

I don't own _Naruto_ only my own characters.

Please enjoy my works.

The moon rose high into the night's deep plumes of ebony and violet that washed across the sky. Snow fell outside, blanketing the world in its numb embrace of winter love, touching everything and turning it into a dead, yet beautiful scene. It was silent amongst the streets and the trees, nothing stirred in the dead of the night, no painters brush disrupted the tranquility of the palette created.

Fingertips burning with the sensation of nerve-endings crying out in ecstasy brushed their way from the bed-sheets to the pillows and then fell down in-between, lying there, like snakes lying in wait. Knowing that it would not be long till they were followed.

Smells of crushed flowers on flesh long forgotten and wooden musk coated the chilled winter air, but it flowed deep into their lungs, filling them with the comfort and the reality of the power of the night. Old sparks from long put-out candles burned brighter than they had ever.

He didn't care if it was wrong, it didn't seem to matter, there wasn't anything left in this world to live for. It was simply the fear of death that had kept him going on this long, fighting and fighting only against fear. But then in his hurricane of emotions…

She came, and he became more afraid than ever.

Afraid because a part of him had been torn so quickly from his soul and now a filament of some alien force was coming in, and he, so hurt and alone, had no choice but to either run or latch onto it with all of his might.

She could see right through him and into the broken man he was on the inside. She could tell that he was hurting in the world's worst way and what held him up so terribly was the simple childish fact that she was curious about it. So damn curious to find out what allied him to a brink of madness. And it was on that brink he wanted to fall to but she was intent on saving him, saving he whom wished not to be saved. But here, in this night swelling with burning thick air and cunning lulling urges he found himself trembling at another cliff and he know the only saving that would happen was the fall.

There was just him, her, the bed and the night…

Eri had never felt the true meaning of love. She had heard tales of the elusive emotion but she had decided that such pleasures were beyond someone whom had a metal arm and steel swimming through her veins, but when Sasori looked at her with his rust colored eyes she could do almost nothing to hide the exploding want to impress him. Couldn't help the confusing butterflies that heated her stomach and made her body constrict painfully. Just watching his skillful adept hands work over his puppets set her on an all new admiration. He had shown her what real terrible beauty was, terrible in the fact he could control and contort whatever he pleased, and, beautiful because he was so different, so lithe, powerful, deadly, untamable, reckless, calculating, truthful, and most of all he was hurt. So hurt that he would look at such an outsider such as herself and then even compare her to the works of art he himself loved. But she didn't care why anymore, it was just the fact of keeping him, regardless of how selfish it might be, she would do whatever she could to keep those taupe eyes on her.

Eyes the color of dried roses stared down deeply into those of an emerald sea. They sparkled in response to his closeness, his willingness.

What they had desired all their lives lay before them on a silver platter, waiting, as if, for them to pluck the forbidden fruit and toast.

Sasori's once cold lips met Eri's pounding pulse gently, allowing her to either reject his advance or not, the latter being ridiculous.

She squeezed her eyes shut and gasped his name in the radical bliss that swept through her body. Wrapping her fingers tight in his thick hair she gave herself up to him, the only thing she could do to repay him for everything.

He took her over the edge and back again, making them both shutter and shake, quaking from the power of the waves that pushed through them both. Each more potent and brilliant that the last, making him pant with ecstasy and cling to her in fear of her disappearing. This feeling, these feelings that rushed over him, she didn't care that he was half puppet, and he realized, if she didn't care then he wouldn't either.

Eri lay beside him, hidden in his arms, face buried into his neck. She alleged to him softly.

"Thank you for giving me it back danna," she whispered to him tenderly.

His eyebrows tugged together, "What do you mean?"

Eri shifted to press her body to him, feeling him react and tighten, loving how that happened, feeling her cheeks even now burn childishly.

"I _lied _danna. I do know something of my past," she said with a lazy grin, "but you gave it back to me, gave me back my future. I was only called "Eri", never named, that was what I was called when I was a slave. Danna, I hid my name because I believed I was not worthy of it."

"What name could you not be worthy of?" he asked, never aware of this.

"The one thing that every human has trouble doing. Something I should never have ever done after my past, something no ninja does. Something I never learned to do until you showed up danna…"

"Shinrai."

The ghost of the word slipped between his lips as he pushed his to hers. Her fingers finding his hair once more as his touched her smooth skin holding her to him, both hungry for the one thing they knew blossomed even more than love…

Trust.

And the night shone on, the moon hung high up in the sky too far from mortals grasps. Silent songs from the stars lulled the wake to sleep, dusting them with flakes of their light.

Lifting her wooden arm, the one he had crafted himself for her, she traced circles over the red cylinder that incased his heart. He laid his own hand over hers and turned his ever burning eyes to her.

"It beats," he said his voice thick," it has been so dead, it hasn't beat for years."

She smiled and simply curled in against his side, sighing as she drifted into the inky blackness of sleep, knowing he would be there, trusting she'd way up with his hands raking through her blonde locks and his steel swords of wings enveloping them in the false serenity that was all they could afford in their lives.

We are broken,

Parts and Pieces,

Fallen down,

But time never ceases.

Pulled together from,

The beginning,

From the death,

A new life springing.

Broken we are,

Pieces and Parts,

Held only together,

By our hearts.

From demons to,

Angels and wings,

Bound together forever,

By our heartstrings.

Love we don't,

Really ever know,

The coming,

Will always show.

But in the,

End,

We are only,

Parts and Pieces,

Here,

To make,

A,

Whole.

That would be the last time Sasori and Eri would be able to spend by themselves, for it was the next day that Konoha attacked Amegakure tenfold. For three days they held off their enemies with their comrades, but in the end it had always been futile.

In an attempt to save her danna, Eri used her failing body as a shield and was run through multiple times through the abdomen. The suna symbol on her stomach was bathed in blood, blood now that had lost all the steel that had kept her alive through it all, poison, of some kind had ripped down all her shields and she was defenseless. Exhaustion had beaten her down and there in that whole of despair she realized what was going to happen.

Coughing clots of blood she fell to the ground, hacking pathetically as her vision blurred and the pain numbed all other senses. Blackness ebbed in from all sides of her sight. The last sight she saw was one thing no one had ever seen before, it burned more than the blood in her throat and the tears in her fading eyes.

He had seen her fall to the human limits that were branded into her DNA, she had tried and now amongst it all she had failed. Watching her now, his vision slowed down painfully so that every drop of blood was seen he saw, the agonizing sight as the soft lips he had cherished for so long had now been stained with crimson. A ripping at his chest sent him gasping and tripping downwards to the ground but eyes saying glued to the fading light in her emerald eyes.

Sasori ran towards her, his eyes stinging with tears, nothing, he convinced himself, would ever stop him. In his dash he took three blades through the chest making him stumble and cough, lungs collapsing down on him. He pushed through his pain and the agony; one hand outstretched and open, hoping fatefully to hold his love. Rivulets of the long thought impossible tears etching down his cheeks.

He came short only inches.

Amongst the carnage and battle Sasori was heard over all the ninjas far and wide. All feeling the pain ripping through the man's heart and voice. He shouted but one name as his dead hand fell into a puddle of their own blood, he and Eri's cold fingertips barely entwined.

And for the last time…Eri's eyes turned milky blue.

"…_Shinrai!"_

_And as we're falling down.  
And in this pool of blood.  
And as we're touching hands.  
I'll see your eyes.  
I'll meet your eyes.  
I mean this.  
FOREVER.  
_

_Demolition Lovers My Chemical Romance_

_Written with love,_

_Kuroi Hihane_

_Life is just a race to the end; the decision is how you get there._


End file.
